DPMHS prepares for changes as campus reopens
A new bell schedule was created to accommodate students who will continue distance learning and those who will be on campus.
April 20, 2021
After being closed since March 16, 2020, Los Angeles Unified School District middle and high schools will reopen for hybrid learning the week of April 26. Daniel Pearl Magnet High School students who have opted for in-person instruction can expect to return on April 27. On April 26, students will meet only for their advisory class.
“I’m excited (about) seeing people,” said freshman Gael Cabrera, who plans to return to school in-person. “I’ve been wanting to go back to school for the whole entirety of this year, so I feel like it’s great.”
According to DPMHS Principal Armen Petrossian, there are approximately 36 students who have decided to return to on-campus learning, while the rest of students plan on remaining fully virtual. Students who return to school will remain in their advisory class the entire day with a small cohort of peers. DPMHS is taking several safety precautions including testing teachers and students weekly for COVID-19 and stocking up on masks, plexiglass and hand sanitizer. Additionally, everyone on campus will be required to wear a mask at all times.
“As far as operations go, we want to make sure that when everybody comes back we are following every safety protocol and guideline the LA Department of Public Health has put in place,” Petrossian said. “We want to make sure that everyone is safe. Right now that is the focus.”
According to a plan emailed to DPMHS teachers on April 16, daily schedules will change for both hybrid and online students. Students who return to campus will be in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., as well as alternating Mondays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. They will be at home every Wednesday and Friday.
Meanwhile, students who remain fully remote will have instruction from 8:30 A.M. to 1:50 P.M. every Tuesday through Friday and 8:30 A.M. to 1:20 P.M. every Monday. Although lunch will occur at different times for each group, it will last 40 minutes for both.
“That’s one of the things that I don’t agree (with), how the schedule is going to change,” Spanish teacher Glenda Hurtado said. “I think every student has gotten into a routine.”
Many students and teachers, such as Hurtado, have mixed feelings about the reopening plan. While Hurtado is hesitant to go back and would rather wait until August, she is excited to see the three students who she will have in her cohort.
“I am very hopeful in the sense of social interaction,” Hurtado said. “(But) our hopes might go down when we realize we can’t really visit or see or sit down with each other. That will be a reality check.”
Although the situation is not ideal for most members of the DPMHS community, many students and faculty remain optimistic about the coming weeks.
“My message is thank you for your patience,” Petrossian said. “Thank you for your understanding. This is a start. Continue being patient and we’re here for you. Hang in there.”