In an effort to welcome students back to in-person school after almost a year of distance learning, Student Council members are planning grade-specific and inter-grade activities for the spring. 

Many of these activities will focus on introducing ninth graders and new students to Lab, as well as making the campus feel welcoming through decorations. 

“There’s a lot of trying to infuse life back into the physical campus, and we’ve been working on creating videos and tours for freshmen, because a lot of the new kids haven’t been to Lab yet,” Omar Siddiqui, all-school president, said. 

One of the challenges in planning an event is the capacity limits based on health guidelines. Based on current University COVID-19 restrictions, no student council event will be able to have more than 100 people in attendance. Furthermore, every in-person event must be approved by the U-High administration, and then further by university administrators.

As many students will take the option of continuing with distance learning throughout the year,  Student Council is planning in-person activities that will also allow students to participate in remotely. 

“Student Council has been holding remote game nights, and those are going to be transitioned in person or into a hybrid where people can still Zoom in,” Omar said. 

Socializing online has been difficult for many students, so these activities will allow students to spend time with each other in person.

“In-person events have more people coming, so it will help people really connect with one another,” Class of 2023 president Fermi Boonstra said.  

According to Fermi, when the activities are fully planned, students will be able to sign up through a Google form on Schoology.

The administration has already held Friday mixed-grade activities, which have given many students the opportunity to socialize. This is something the Student Council activities will also focus on. 

“It was nice to see people that I hadn’t seen in a long time and to socialize with people I don’t usually talk to,” junior Kira Sekhar, who attended a Friday in-person event, said.

Student Council is working to ensure students feel welcome as they transition into hybrid, and that they get to know each other and their grade’s representatives. 

Omar said, “We have a lot of Lab School traditions that we’re trying to carry over in whatever way that we can.”

Student Council members also published a video where they outlined various back-to-school guidelines, from rules to follow when eating to an Australian-voiced Q & A section impersonating Principal Paul Beekmeyer.