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MHS back to in-person classes next week
Cohorts will be merged, school open for full hours five days a week, COVID safety protocols will still be followed
With more than 80% of its student population already vaccinated against COVID-19, Marianas High School will return to full in-person classes starting next week. This means MHS will merge its cohorts and open all classes for full hours five days a week, said MHS principal Jonathan Aguon Thursday. Of course, all COVID-19 safety guidelines are still in place and will be followed, he added.
Aguon said that he and the rest of MHS are excited to be the first public high school on Saipan to open for full in-person classes.
“Our school has been busy getting the campus set up [for next week], and, of course, all COVID [safety] guidelines still are in place. Mask wearing is important [and] we have sanitation protocols to make sure that our students’ safety is our priority,” said Aguon.
Aguon acknowledged how important in-person classes are to ensuring effective learning and lauding MHS’ students for their collective effort in making full in-person classes possible.
“We understand that having face-to-face instruction is important for our students, and I’m very proud of my Dolphins because they’re the ones who took initiative. We needed to [have] at least 80% of our students be vaccinated and we [reached] that rate quite quickly,” said Aguon. MHS students are often referred to as Dolphins because their mascot is a dolphin.
“We’re the largest school in the CNMI Public School System, and to think that over 80% of [our students] are vaccinated really means a lot because it shows their commitment to our community’s safety and [their commitment] to have the full school experience that comes with a more open school,” he added.
In a separate interview Thursday, acting Education commissioner Eric M. Magofna said that MHS is currently one of just three CNMI public schools with student populations aged 12 and older to reach 80% vaccinated and open back up for full in-person classes this school year, the other two schools being Tinian Jr./ Sr. High School on Tinian and Dr. Rita H. Inos Jr./Sr. High School on Rota.
