Welcome back! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer, visiting fascinating places, chilling in the living room, going to camps, or even working. I know I sure did! I visited Death Valley, the hottest place in the world, trekked through the mountains of Yosemite National Park, and ventured through the great rocks of the Grand Canyon. 

But now, it’s time to reenter school mode, so here’s a quick recap of everything you need to be prepared for this school year. 

Clubs, without a doubt, are one of the most pivotal elements of high school life. It’s where you can develop new hobbies and interests, make new friends, and build a leadership foundation.  And with teens being hit hardest by the social isolation covid has caused, there’s never been a better time to join a club.

There are over 50 different clubs at Hall, which you can check out on the school’s website (under Student Clubs and Publications). From Math Team to Mock Trial to Art Club to History Club to Chem-4-Kids club to Robotics team, Hall has so many opportunities for students. 

Classes. This year, Hall will be returning to an 8-period schedule, as opposed to the last year’s block schedule.  A return to a hybrid or virtual learning format is highly unlikely, however. 

 According to Superintendent Tom Moore, we will continue in-person learning:  “One thing that I want to be crystal clear about is that I do  not anticipate a situation where we will move to remote or hybrid learning due to covid this year. Being in person is just too important for learning, socialization, and the mental health of our children.”

Covid. Unfortunately, the coronavirus is still as dangerous as before, especially with the delta variant infecting hordes of people at a time. Hall students – whether vaccinated or not – still have to wear masks while they are on the school’s premises and buses because the vaccines are around 50% less effective against the delta variant; however, this might change during the school year, as more students and staff become vaccinated and delta subsides. 

In fact, Connecticut has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, boasting a 64% full vaccination rate as opposed to the national 50%. Furthermore, West Hartford has a vaccination rate of 72.4%, and is still on the rise. 

Sports. Great news! Sports will not be affected by covid this year. Students will start off with practices and conditioning, while transitioning to traditional season activities and games later on. All fall sports, which include cross country, soccer, cheerleading, field hockey, girl’s swimming and diving, and girl’s volleyball, began on August 26, 2021, with the exception of football and boy’s golf, which began on August 16, 2021. To register, you can visit whathletics.com. For more information, you can contact Athletics Director Jason Siegal or Athletics Administrative Assistant Maryanne Seguro. 

Lunch. Like last school year, lunches are still going to be free. Students are encouraged to eat in the cafeteria or at outdoor seats. 

College. If you’re a senior, you’ve probably already started working on college applications. If you’re stressed, don’t be! There’s a lot of people available to help you with this journey: guidance counselors are there to help you at every step, while your teachers will support you as well! Additionally, many schools are going test-optional for the 2021-2022 application cycle; around 65% of colleges and universities are adopting this test-optional application process. Good luck to all seniors!

And last but not last, please consider joining Hall Highlights! We welcome all writers, regardless of what you like to write about. 

If you are interested, join the Google Classroom with code mv22efs. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kelly Fransen (kelly_fransen@whps.org), or me (2022charlesw796@student.whps.org)!