Due to growing COVID-19 cases, and students not following COVID guidelines, the schedule at EHS has changed.
“Basically, we are adding a second lunch to each day,” Principal Rick Gardner said. “This should reduce crowding in the cafeteria and in the hallways during lunch time. Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t have trouble accommodating 360 kids at lunch, but with the mask and distancing guidelines in place, it is really challenging to keep students safe.”
Students are expected to be wearing masks that cover both the nose and mouth. Students must also stay 3 feet apart when masked and 6 feet apart when unmasked. However, it is acceptable to remove your mask when you are eating or drinking and able to maintain a 6-foot distance.
It is really challenging to keep students safe.
Principal Rick Gardner
Other changes you may have noticed around the school is the closing of school bathrooms. This is due to a sudden spike in vandalism credited to a TikTok challenge referred to as “Devious Licks.” It is a challenge where students steal items from their school and then brag about it online. Something that is harder to steal is considered more “devious.”
The remaining bathrooms open for boys are the LRC restroom and the cafeteria restroom. One student is allowed in the boys’ restrooms at a time. As for girls, all restrooms are open except for the outside bathrooms across from the courtyard.
Principal Gardner said last week that he would be willing to reopen the boys’ restrooms in the main gym hallway if there was no vandalism for the rest of the week. However, the boys’ restrooms next to the hall of fame hallway will not be reopened until all the equipment is returned and it can be reopened safely. If the vandalism in the bathrooms doesn’t end, school officials will have to consider extreme options.
“I have seen that other schools have closed all of their restrooms and placed port-a-potties on campus,” Gardner said. “That seems like an extreme option, but it is one that I would consider if we can’t demonstrate better respect for our school facilities.”
If you value indoor restrooms, please report anything you know about the vandalism to the office.
