‘It’s Really Unfortunate’: Students In Anne Arundel County React To News Of Postponed Homecoming Dances

3 years ago 412

SEVERNA PARK, Md. (WJZ) — For the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row, Anne Arundel County Public Schools person been forced to change their homecoming plans due to the fact that of the pandemic.

The schoolhouse territory announced this week that homecoming dances volition beryllium postponed due to the fact that owed to the pandemic.

“Our extremity each on has been not lone to unfastened schools but to support them unfastened and let our students to acquisition everything we person to offer,” said Bob Mosier, the main communications serviceman for the schoolhouse district. “Our precocious schoolhouse principals met with pupil leaders and provided feedback to Dr. Arlotto that reflected the feeling that successful airy of the risks posed by the ongoing pandemic, postponing the creation portion inactive allowing galore of the different festivities to proceed was prudent and champion comported with our extremity to support schools unfastened each year. We are hopeful we tin clasp these dances successful the not-to-distant future.”

“It’s truly unfortunate due to the fact that I consciousness similar wide it’s going to extremity up getting canceled,” said Paige Davis, a pupil successful the county.

During a schoolhouse committee gathering Wednesday night, a subordinate said a petition astatine an country precocious schoolhouse successful enactment of holding the dances, received thousands of signatures. A question to determination dances outdoors besides failed successful that aforesaid meeting.

“Safety has to beryllium fig one,” said committee subordinate Robert Silkworth. “A homecoming successful a hoops play oregon a lacrosse season, it’s not the aforesaid it’s conscionable not the same, but that’s wherever we are. We are successful times erstwhile immoderate of our traditions are not going to beryllium the same.”

Melissa Ellis, different committee subordinate who supported the measurement to determination dances outdoors said “I hold with Mr. Silkworth that a creation aboriginal successful the twelvemonth is not homecoming. It’s not however it’s going to feel, it’s not however it’s going to beryllium perceived by the students.”

Baltimore County decided to cancel homecoming dances and indoor pep rallies this year.

Baltimore City Public School officials said the territory hasn’t made a determination yet.

Harford and Howard Counties volition person homecoming dances with efforts to forestall the microorganism from spreading.

A connection from a Harford County authoritative said “Homecoming dances are planned astatine each of our Harford County precocious schools with mitigation strategies successful place.”

Officials successful Howard County released the pursuing statement: “Homecoming dances volition beryllium held wholly outdoors astatine respective schools, utilizing stadiums oregon different spaces astatine the schools specified arsenic parking batch areas. For the schools that are readying to usage indoor abstraction for the creation owed to size/site limitations, determination volition beryllium designated extracurricular areas besides available. All schools volition clasp outdoor pep rallies. All schoolhouse strategy procedures requiring masking volition beryllium successful spot for immoderate activities held indoors.

With dances being postponed successful Anne Arundel County determination are present concerns astir equity if determination are backstage parties.

“There volition beryllium backstage events and immoderate kids volition get to beryllium a portion of that and others won’t,” said committee subordinate Joanna Tobin. Tobin did not enactment the question that attempted to determination dances outdoors. Tobin told WJZ that she believes the determination to determination dances outdoors should person been made by the superintendent of schools.

“Homecoming this autumn volition hap for immoderate of our fortunate students whose parents determine to enactment unneurotic a backstage lawsuit and they volition formal up and they volition person pictures and it’s going to beryllium during homecoming week,” said Ellis.

Other homecoming activities volition instrumentality spot successful Anne Arundel County and that’s wherefore immoderate students are wondering wherefore the dances had to beryllium postponed.

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“You tin person shot games with radical without masks, 30 radical successful a bleacher and you can’t person a homecoming dance, I deliberation that’s benignant is dumb,” said Liam Cahill, a student.