OVS senior Brody Moller was counting down the minutes until he could rip off his mask.
Like millions of students across the country impacted by the Covid pandemic, Brody has been attending classes, playing sports and taking part in various other school activities in a mask to protect others and himself from the spread of the virus.
But with Covid numbers dropping, mask mandates have been lifted in recent weeks in schools in California and nationwide, providing breathing room – for those who choose to go maskless – to students and teachers who for nearly two years have had to mask up.
On Friday, March 11, it was OVS’s turn.
The school officially ended its mask mandate at midnight on that day, a move that was met with great excitement from many students and staff, including Brody Moller.
“I was not a big fan of wearing the mask,” Brody said. “I’m happy to be taking it off my face.”
Even when the mask mandate was lifted, the school has been quick to say that anyone who would like to keep wearing a mask at school is encouraged to do so, and it has strongly recommended mask wearing in crowded settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained.
The school also will continue to provide twice monthly COVID testing on both campuses for the protection of our students and staff.
Upper Campus Head of School Craig Floyd said two years ago everyone had to get used to wearing a mask, and now students and faculty will have to grow comfortable with having them off.
But he reiterated that the lifting of the mask mandate allows a choice for all students, staff and faculty.
“I’m not going to tell anyone to take off their mask,” Mr. Floyd said. “It’s your choice whether you want to wear it or not.”
For his part, Mr. Floyd said he is ready to put Covid behind him, and the lifting of the mask mandate is one giant step closer to that goal. The mask has been a constant reminder of the fear that the school has lived in through the pandemic.
“I realized the other day that it was lifted almost exactly two years from our first lockdown,” Mr. Floyd said. “I’m glad to see it coming to an end so we can get closer to whatever normal is or was.”
OVS Spanish teacher Gretchen Wachter said she was beyond ready to take off her mask, seeing it as a barricade between the students and their educational experience.
“I’m super happy,” Ms. Wachter said. “I wish it could’ve been done earlier, but I’m glad it happened.”
That said, there are still students and teachers who are not ready to let down their guard.
“I’m just not ready to take my mask off in class,” said senior CatieJo Larkin, who plans to continue wearing her mask. “I’m just so used to having it on now, it’s kind of like muscle memory.”
Though the mandate was lifted, not everyone is taking their mask off, whether for their own safety or the safety of their loved ones. Some students and faculty fear that without the mandate numbers will rise.
Ella Schuette is a junior at OVS and has worn a mask for the majority of her high school career and, for now, will continue to do so.
“Honestly, I’m terrified,” Ella said, “I have family members who are immunocompromised and I don’t want to put them in danger.”
Donahi Soriano, an OVS Sophomore, has also decided to keep her mask on.
“I’m trying to keep others and myself safe” Donahi said, “I’m just trying to be considerate”
For now, the students and faculty are able to take off their masks, but that may change in the future.
“I think it’s a good time to do a test,” said Crystal Davis, the assistant head of school for student life at the Upper Campus. “And if the numbers go up again, we’ll put the mandate back in place.”
Ms. Davis, like many at OVS, has had a lot on her plate since the pandemic began. Though she is excited to take off her mask, she does have worries about Covid numbers rising.
“It’s just brand new,” Ms. Davis said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, and if we do have to bring masks back I will happily put one on but, I would be most grateful to keep it off.”
Freshman Alex Hollon has decided to not continue wearing her mask. She was not annoyed by wearing one, just inconvenienced.
“I didn’t really mind wearing them,” she explained. “There’s a slight inconvenience and now that inconvenience is temporarily gone. I feel like I can enjoy my freshman year and high school more thoroughly without a mask on!”
The mask mandate being lifted will allow her and her fellow freshman class to have the normal high school experience, an experience that many others at OVS wish they could have had.
Freshman Prudence Currey Schafer has only been in high school for seven months, and for all of those months, she has had to wear a mask. Now that the mandate has been lifted, she took off her mask for the first time since she was in seventh grade.
“I mean I feel pretty comfortable taking my mask off right now.” Prudence said. “I’m fully vaccinated and we are still doing regular tests so I think it’ll be ok for us to choose whether or not we wear a mask.”