The Riverdale we knew in March 2020 is more within reach than ever before. Now that most of the Hill Campus is vaccinated, students and faculty alike can return to learning and building connections with a greater sense of normalcy.
Our community is defined by our diverse backgrounds and experiences, and this proved to be especially true as the Riverdale administration grappled with how to incorporate safety mandates, as well as a wide range of parent and student feedback, into school life. If there is one thing that the pandemic has taught us, it is that striking the balance between upholding the well-being of our community while preserving the qualities that make Riverdale a vibrant learning hub is a complex process. The outcome is not always perfect.
“I think the main focus at this point is vigilance around masking,” said Head of Upper School Mr. Tom Taylor. While vaccinations and frequent testing can be reassuring, these safety measures alone do not suffice. There are many students on the Hill campus who are not yet 12 years old, and thus are ineligible for the Covid-19 vaccine. But the administration remains optimistic: the FDA has begun to consider emergency authorization for children five years of age and older to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and an official decision is expected before October 31 of this year. If approved, Riverdale will encourage these remaining students to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Riverdale students can continue to maintain the wellness of the community by wearing masks indoors. It is easy to succumb to the weight of hopelessness when the end of the pandemic seems so distant, but Dr. Kelley Nicholson-Flynn, Assistant Head of School for Operations, emphasizes that we do indeed have agency when it comes to our school experience. As Dr. Nicholson-Flynn explained, we can “make the choices every day to maximize [our] personal safety,” even when the conditions around us are ever-changing. She advises students to turn to the adults in the community, like deans, division heads, teachers, and counselors. We may not obtain clear-cut answers or predictions about the future of the pandemic, but we can process and bond over our collective experience.
Fortunately, new friendships and communities have already bloomed at Riverdale. Now that student groups and sports teams have returned to exclusively in-person meetings, students can return to fostering a sense of belonging in these spaces while continuing to practice good safety habits. Senior Grant Schwartz, captain of Riverdale’s varsity football team, often reflects on how he can hold his teammates accountable inside and outside the football field from a place of care, rather than judgment. “It’s a little harder to have everyone together in one place, especially given the Covid Compact and trying to follow that to the best of our ability,” says Schwartz. Team practices and dinners have restored a sense of normalcy within the team, and as with other school activities, students can break the usual rhythm of academics and college applications. Being maskless indoors, especially when vaccinated, is tempting, so reminding one’s peers about the risks of doing so is still essential. “[Enforcing mask use] is not a fun role, but it’s one that has to be done,” says Schwartz. Many Riverdale students have also taken on this role; one does not have to be in a leadership position to look out for the safety of others.
As we continue to navigate what may prove to be the last stages of the pandemic, the Riverdale administration is hopeful. Vaccination rates in New York are promising, and once the Pfizer vaccine becomes available to kids five and up, the school could go maskless sooner than expected, depending on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control. Meanwhile, as students continue to wear masks when necessary and encourage others to follow suit, we can remain confident that staying up-to-date on state and federal safety mandates will ensure a safe and meaningful school experience for our community.
