McAuliffe students felt sick or were out sick because they had a “cold,” some students started feeling sick January 23. Parents got an email saying that the school had 23 teachers out sick with COVID. At school students had been told that other staff would be substituting other subjects, students were also told that school might be online for a whole week because of the COVID outbreak.

January 25th, McAuliffe decided to do COVID tests at school; a lot of seventh graders were getting tested for COVID, some seventh graders were getting sent home because they had tested positive for COVID. McAuliffe also sent parents an email saying that if students wanted to wear a mask, they were welcomed to, they also sent an advisor to parents to tell their middle schoolers to wash their hands, clean their area, and not come to school if sick. 

The COVID tests were in the cafeteria, the line of people getting tested was all the way to the hallway and they asked for your name and last name. Once you did the COVID test, they put your name on it. If you had Covid and they told you that you tested positive, Ms. Beardshear made you go down to the nurse and they had to call your parents saying that you tested positive. They gave you a mask so you didn’t get anyone else sick. If you were negative they told you and they made you tell the next person to come in the cafeteria so they could get tested.

Sixth grader Blake Slater, said, “At first I thought COVID was gone but then I got used to it and I was like COVID’s probably in our lives forever now.’’ McAuliffe, with the help of other schools, managed to stay open and help the students with their learning. For the kids out with COVID, they will still have a way to learn. Teachers posted their assignments and slides on Schoology, students were provided to learn through that app and still be able to know what is going on in school.