Permian Finds Way Through Covid-19

District wraps up second six-weeks with Hybrid, Virtual schedule

Photo by Michael Flax

Students in Cheryl Stribling’s art class receive instruction before beginning work.

Yanitza Martinez, Staff Writer

Students got the opportunity to choose between virtual or hybrid learning for this school year. If students have chosen to do virtual this year, they will do all school work from home.

“I chose to be virtual because I didn’t want to be at risk of getting the (COVID-19) and put my family at risk,” junior Iris Espino said.

 The hybrid schedule contains an A and B day. On A days students with the last name from A-L have been attending school in person. Students with last names from M-Z work from home, and on B days it’s flipped. The Ector County Independent School District opened the school year with four phases. The four phases were to slowly introduce the hybrid students back to school. Phase 1 was for students that receive special education, and for anyone that had internet issues at home. Phase 2 allowed 9th graders to begin attending classes on their hybrid days, followed by 10th graders on Phase 3 and everyone else on Phase 4.

“I felt nervous but at the same time excited to go back because I felt like I forgot everything I learned,” junior Loretta Lujan said. “A days and B days gives each student a chance to go to school and to help them have a Face to face lesson with the teachers.”

Hybrid students had to  wear a face mask at all times while at school to minimize the spread of Covid-19. School has also become a closed campus for all grades, with the lunch period split with 30 minutes for lunch and 30 minutes for homeroom as students stay in the classroom for lunch.

“I like sitting with my friends and socializing, not sitting in geometry for lunch,” junior Fernanda Rojas said.

ECISD hasn’t made any updates on how the second semester will change. However if students want to change to virtual they can at any time. To change to hybrid they have to wait until the end of the next six-weeks. 

“I think it won’t go back to normal because they had made A days and B days, unless the cases start getting high they’re going to just do all online,” junior Alexis Galaviz said.

As of Oct. 5th, ECISD has confirmed hybrid students will be coming to school full time with the movement into Phases 5 through 7. Freshmen will begin coming to school everyday beginning Oct. 19, followed by the sophomores will begin full-time school Nov. 2, and the juniors and seniors will switch to full time Nov. 16.

Students that attend school virtual will continue with their virtual learning.