After a long five months, Rosary is back on campus (part time.) The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the Royals’ arrival back to school for quite some time, but to many students’ delight, we’re back.

Rosary is split into two main groups, Cohorts 1 and 2 (Cohort 1 is made of group A and D, while cohort two is made of groups B,C, and E.) These two cohorts will switch between being on campus and distance learning. Cohort E will remain completely in distance education, joining cohort two for their online classes and watching on-campus lessons through streams of the class.

The Royals headed on campus bright and early to make sure they were screened with plenty of time to get to class. Most would agree the screening process was quick and easy even if it was tough to get out of bed early again.

Each school day ends at 11:05 and begins for the next cohort at 11:50.  Most girls are able to use this extra time to get lunch after school, sleep in, or get some extra time to study for a test.

Lauren Woolley ’21 said, “I’m so happy to be back on campus. I like how I’m done with school early on the days we are on campus. It’s so good seeing my friends back in school.”

The class of 2023 was not able to have the normal freshman experience their first few weeks of school. But thanks to the new hybrid schedule, the girls are able to spend some time on campus. Gwen Baxter ’24 said, “I was really nervous for a bit, but everyone is so nice and it’s really cool to actually be on campus for that high school experience.”

Although we have gotten used to wearing a polo or spirit dress shirt for zoom classes, most girls have spent the majority of their time on zoom in their pajama pants. Being back on campus, the girls are expected to be back in their Rosary uniform polos, their plaid skirts, appropriate socks, and a classic “Rosary Bun.”

Elena Walz ’22  brought up an interesting thought about being back on campus: “It was so weird putting on my skirt again. It was buried in the back of my closet, and wearing it felt almost nostalgic. I never thought I would miss being in full uniform.”

Justine Avalos ’23 brought up just how happy she was to be back on campus when she said, “I missed seeing my teachers and friends in person so much. I also like hybrid because it makes me feel a little bit safer about not getting sick. I just missed seeing my friends outside a little two inch box on Zoom.”

Despite the strangeness of screenings, social distancing, masks, and cohorts, the Royals are back on their beloved campus.  And boy, are they excited about it.