In one week from today, students attending one of the schools in the Union Public School District will return to school for the fall semester. Some students have enjoyed summer break by vacationing or spending time with family while other students have put in a significant amount of work over the summer in preparation for extracurricular activities in the fall. The 2021-2022 school year also holds a significant importance for students and the community as a whole; this year signals an almost complete return to normal from COVID-19 policies and should seem like a definite return to normal.
Extracurricular activities have come to define the fall semester. Students participate in football, band, and a variety of other activities; while many students have probably stayed as far away from campus as possible this summer, many other students have worked extremely hard over the past two months to prepare for the fall semester. Student athletes have exercised all summer, and band members have endured band camp. The full return of these activities serves as one way in which life has returned to normal as many of them became limited during last year’s fall semester.
Furthermore, the normal perception of school as returned as well; no COVID-19 policies will affect in-person learning. While this is a good thing, students, parents, and the community should still take precautions concerning COVID-19 due to the Delta variant. This variant has proven both highly transmissible and quite severe in unvaccinated people. Even young, healthy people have begun to have complications from COVID-19 due to the Delta variant. However, the vaccine effectively protects well against the Delta variant, and in cases where vaccinated individuals do contract the virus, they often have much less severe complications. Everyone over the age of twelve can receive the vaccine. Students, parents, teachers, and everyone else should all act accordingly to protect both the school and the community.
Most Union residents have likely wanted a return to normal for a long time, and this return will finally happen with the return to school. Football, band, and all other extracurricular activities will begin this fall to the delight of many. Some students may feel excited about going back to school; however, even if some students may not want their summer to end, they will probably still find happiness in seeing their friends again if they have not much this summer. However, in this return to normal, everyone must remain vigilant. Union cannot afford to have a bad outbreak of COVID-19; this would simply prove disastrous for all. Therefore, in returning to school this semester, everyone should stay safe while enjoying a return to normal.
Send your Union community news or column ideas to Matt Hennington at mch.2000@hotmail.com.
