INDIANAPOLIS — School is still in session, even if desks are empty inside Arsenal Technical High School.
Fall break would have been Oct. 12-16 for IPS, but the school year started late due to COVID-19.
It is also the last week of virtual learning before students return to the buildings on Monday, Oct. 19.
For students in grades 7-12, Monday will be the first day of the academic year that they’ve been inside their school building.
“This is a 76 acre campus and we have multiple buildings, so in each of our buildings at any time we could have upwards of 800 students,” said Arsenal Technical High School Principal Corye Franklin. He admits the size can be a challenge.
Inside buildings, arrows guide the way, which includes designating staircases to be up or down to help create space between students.
Chairs and tables in the cafeteria have also been spread out and a fifth lunch period has been added.
Science teacher Isaac Adams is teaching online while also getting the room ready.
“It almost feels like the beginning of the school year all over,” Adams said.
He’s labeled who sits at a desk each period to help with contact tracing.
Across campus, English teacher Kevin Sandorf has turned his classroom into a broadcast studio.
“With this whole virtual thing, I said how can I replicate what’s going on in here at home,” Sandorf explained.
Nearly a dozen cameras and microphones set the stage, all of which he bought himself. To keep things touchless, he'll start by scanning each student's folder, and every other desk is off limits.
"There are some things I've overlooked, some things we're going to have to do in-flight correction,” Sandorf said.
"This is very new for all of us, but we're really excited to receive our students and that has been our focus, to welcome them back safely,” Franklin said.
Grades 7-12 will divided up by last name for the hybrid schedule. A-K will be in school Monday and Tuesday; L-Z will be in school Thursday and Friday.
All students in grades 7-12 will be remote on Wednesdays.