A normal sick day usually consists of staying at home, sleeping, resting and coming back to school the next day or so. This year looks a little different since COVID-19 is highly contagious, the Center for Disease Control(CDC) has declared that if a student has come in contact with or has gotten a positive test, they should quarantine at home for two weeks. The school system has acquired that declaration and requires that students  quarantine for two weeks if they  are contact traced or have gotten a positive test. To be contact traced, students in the buildings need to have spent more than 15 minutes, 6 ft. or less apart from a student who tested positive. 

Juniors Max Bante and Ana Sofia Remolina are just two out of many others who have been quarantined from school and had to stay home for two weeks.

When Bante was told to be quarantined by FHN’s dean of students, he was taken aback.

“I didn’t know it would happen to me,” Bante said. 

Being told you have to come home and quarantine and not go to school sparks a lot of questions: What is school going to look like? Am I doing what the online school kids are doing? What is the work going to be like?

“[I felt like] it was like what the school district decided to do last spring during fourth quarter,” Bante said. “I got to do everything on my own time, I got the notes and worksheets and could just work at my own pace.”

Students who are quarantined from school actually have a different online set-up than the kids who are enrolled in virtual school. There are no mandatory Zooms or needing to start class at a certain time. They were expected to work at their own pace.

“I had no directory or even knew what I was doing half the time,” Bante said. 

He could contact his teachers if needed but no directions or help otherwise. But Remolina had a little bit of a different experience with online learning.

“I wish some of my teachers gave me more work, so I can be able to come back to class and not be behind,” Remolina said.

From a normal sick day to a two-week period of being quarantined it is quite different. 

“I wasn’t allowed to leave my house at all,” Remolina said. “No one would let me get out of the house for things I needed for when I was quarantined, like food.”

Before students are allowed to go back into the building or do extra curricular activities with the school, students are required to contact the health department.

“I had to call and get a quarantine release letter from the St. Charles health department, then I was allowed back at school.” Remolina said.