As The Pearl Post staff readjusts to in-person learning, we plan on applying and building on the communication skills used during distance learning to aid our transition back to the classroom. 

This school year brought several changes to Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS), such as new teachers, COVID-19 safety protocols and a switch to a 4×4 block schedule. Instead of six class periods a day, there are now four. This creates some difficulties with our staff because the editors and staff writers are in two separate classes. Without the centralization of having the whole staff in the same period, communication is even more crucial. 

Although distance learning was exhausting, it allowed us to learn several communication techniques and implement tools, such as the workplace messaging app Slack. We plan on utilizing this tool more frequently this year. We will also strive to create a strong sense of community between the staff and editors by participating in bonding activities outside of the classroom and working collaboratively. 

With a significantly smaller staff of only 14 students this year, we foresee it being difficult to report on everything newsworthy. In addition, we have no photo or video editors. However, these challenges won’t prevent us from working diligently and keeping the DPMHS community informed. Our staff plans on focusing on local issues and creating multimedia content as a team in order to ensure our coverage is not hindered by our staff size. 

Despite our staff writers being spread thin reporting for the website, magazine and the Prestige Yearbook, we intend on publishing content in a timely manner and refraining from posting stories on the website all at once. Since our staff is back in the newsroom, we aim to publish  bi-monthly print issue magazines. Being in person has allowed us to achieve one of our goals from last year of starting a podcast. As co-anchors of the podcast, our Newsmagazine Editor-in-Chief and Special Reports/Managing Editor plan on uploading at least two episodes a month. 

Last year’s unusual circumstances didn’t inhibit the quality of our content, with us publishing five high-quality issues of the news magazine and several articles per week on the website. Due to our hard work, we were named finalists for “Best High School Newspaper” and “Best High School News Website” by the Los Angeles Press Club. That being said, the chaotic nature of the past year took a toll on our staff but we aim to continue producing high-quality articles and multimedia content. 

Despite the smaller staff size and separate classes for editors and staff writers, we are confident that our staff will interact effectively and work efficiently. We look forward to this new school year and being back in person with our staff and peers.