All public schools in Washington State will be closed starting Monday, March 16 through the month of June due to the coronavirus. That is the word from Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.
Clark County is home to 80,000 students and joins several Seattle-area districts that closed in March.
Snell shared: “Although we recognize we cannot replicate the school setting or services we normally provide, we will be providing ways to keep students engaged in learning during the closure. Through every challenge there are opportunities to learn and we want to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Staff members and students will wait to find out what distance learning may look like during the closure. CHS statistics teacher Kealey Sitler said, “I’m waiting for more guidance, honestly, to see what we’re supposed to do, like how much we’re supposed to do.”
“My family actually stocked up on hand sanitizer and other things,” said Senior Quintin Morgan. He said he is worried about the closure as a senior and that “teachers are going to be in a bit of a scramble.”
Health personnel, including Camas High School Nurse Joan Haugaard, recommend reading The Washington State and Clark County Department of Health for sanitization tips regarding the virus.
Nurse Haugaard is currently waiting for further notice of the spread of the virus and agrees with the methods of using a 60% alcohol-based sanitizer, although these days it is hard to come by.
¨I think It’s a little dangerous that we don’t know how many people are infected. As long as we keep the information, real current, then we stop meeting if we need to take the cautionary steps,” said CHS Security Guard Tony Williamson.
Stores throughout Camas, and the country, are beginning to run out of essential items such as toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and water due to flooding crowds of terrified citizens.
“I’m worried about the lack of hand sanitizer in the country,” said Camas High School teacher Mrs. Roman.
The School District will continue to be in constant communication with Public Health Organizations and the State Department about this global pandemic.
Camas Principal Mr. Tom Morris said, “we are just at the beginning of it and it might get a little worse before it gets better.”
Featured image courtesy Kelly Lasky.
