Schools open doors to full on-campus learning

Students+return+to+campus+on+the+first+day+of+the+2021-2022+school+year.

Grayson Salomon '22

Students return to campus on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year.

Angelo Coletti ’24

During the year 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit with a deadly force, with the virus affecting people worldwide, young and old.

As this virus spread, more lives were affected in regards to health, employment, school, sports, and entertainment. Some studentshad to finish their high school years through online school, as many jobs went online as well.

The hopes of those wanting to graduate in person seemed to disintegrate. Many students didn’t get a chance to perform their talents in front of college coaches.

As the year might go down as one of the worst in history, the new year came, and along with it, came the hope, later joy, that schools, jobs, and restaurants were reopening.

Although Archbishop Riordan was one of the first to close in March 2020, it was one of only a few in San Francisco to open its doors to hybrid learning in the

Riordan had transformed into a coed school in 2020, and this helped bring energetic waves, making the school one of the most talked about in the Bay.

As Riordan entered the new school year, students and parents questioned how the year was going to progress, and how they planned on teaching during a pandemic with nearly 1,000 students on campus.

So far, according to students, Archbishop Riordan seems to be handling the change well.

Gabriela Ramirez ’24 said, “You would never feel like Riordan was an all boys school by the way they welcomed and greeted their new female classmates on campus.”

She also stated, “Riordan made me feel very at home and I’m proud to call and treat Riordan

like a second home.”
Jared Laxamana ’24, said, “I

was so happy to start school again that the first day I made at least 20 new friends.” He also stated, “I feel very safe at school even if everyone’s not vaccinated because they all wear their masks above their nose.”

For many sophomores, this is their first year of school at Riordan because not many attended class on campus in 2020-21.

Mark Modeste, coach of the football team and supervisor for the COVID protocol stated, “This is by far the most students Riordan has had in attendance for a while.”

He added, “I think we are adapting well to the changes here at Riordan. I also believe we are following the COVID restrictions and guidelines well.”

As students, faculty and staff are consistently wearing masks every day, many agree Riordan has made this new environment a safe one.