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JAY SANDERS

Students wait outside of portable 11 for their teacher on the first day Aug. 11. This school year mask are optional but some students still have worries about the virus and the new varient. "I don't want to get sick and don't want others to get sick either," said junior Hayley McCormack.

For the first time in more than a year, all students returned to Lakewood High School on Wednesday (8/11) for in-person learning. 

Students and staff will have multiple things to face this school year. Some have to get used to returning to in-person school, while others are worried about COVID-19 and the new spreading delta variant. 

“Every time there’s a new school year there’s a new beginning,” social studies teacher James Jackson said. 

Principal Erin Savage called the first day “awesome.”

“What a different a (year) makes. Last year we had about 352 (in-person) students on the first day… this year we had over 1,000 kids. Lunch is full. I walked through the campus and I was like, ‘Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me,’” she said.

Last year mask-wearing was mandatory, but this year the state has decided to make it optional for all school districts. Savage said she thought about half the staff and students were wearing masks and half were not.

Gym teacher Chantella Moore said she would still be wearing her mask.

“To each his own, but Moore? Me? I’m gonna wear it,” she said

Math and AVID teacher Anastasia Homan said she prefers to wear a mask to protect herself and her mom, who is sick, from possibly getting COVID-19. 

 “I am worried about the delta variant because of my mom’s protection and safety,” she said. 

 There were lots of highs today, such as meeting new friends, reconnecting with old ones, and just being out of the house. 

“My day’s been good so far. I’m glad I’m more experienced on campus,” junior Kyle Conde said. 

“My day has been pretty good. I like my teachers so far, but I didn’t enjoy waking up early,” junior Emma Beresford said.

Still, for some students and teachers there were low points of the day. 

 Homan said the worst part of her day was the AC not working. 

“(I was) dying of a heat stroke,” she said. 

Physics teacher Ryan Frewin said the end of summer came too quickly.

“I was enjoying vacation and it was too short,” he said.

Some students still did not have the right schedules, Savage said, but administrators were working hard to fix them.

“At least we got everybody who was here in school today in a classroom,” she said. “I saw a lot of students who seemed happy to be here and happy to be back on campus.”