Timeline of COVID-19 at WHS

2020:

March 4: Concern over COVID-19 begins to rise, but Superintendent Arthur Unobskey labels school closure “unlikely,” and students are solely encouraged to wash their hands often and stay at home if they have flu-like symptoms.
March 10: First Wayland parent tests positive, and Loker Elementary School and Wayland Middle School close on March 11 for cleaning.
March 13: All Wayland Public Schools are shut down with an expected return date of March 27.
March 15: Governor Charlie Baker orders all Massachusetts schools to shut down until April 7.
March 19: Phase 1 of Wayland’s Remote Learning Plan begins which entailed three weeks of optional enrichment work.
March 25: Governor Charlie Baker extends statewide school shutdown until May 4.
April 4: First death from COVID-19 in Wayland.
April 13: Phase 2 of Wayland’s Remote Learning Plan begins. Phase 2 involved remote classes with work graded on a pass/fail basis.
April 21: Governor Charlie Baker announces that schools will be shut down for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.
June 24: Last day of classes for Wayland High School.
Sept. 14: First day of classes using the remote learning model.
Oct. 19: First day of school using the Hybrid model where Cohort A attends school in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, the school gets cleaned on Wednesdays and Cohort B attends school on Thursday and Fridays.
Oct. 27: First positive case of COVID-19 amongst WHS community.
Oct. 29: Second confirmed case of COVID-19 causes WHS to pivot-to-remote on Friday, Oct. 30.
Nov. 1: Third and fourth positive COVID-19 cases confirmed in WHS.

2021:

Feb. 23: WHS starts COVID-19 testing program where students are tested in pools on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Feb. 24: Class of 2022’s junior prom is postponed until April 30, 2022.
March 3: The Wayland Public Schools School Committee votes that the elementary schools will return to all in person, five days a week learning on April 5.
March 10: The Wayland Public Schools School Committee votes that the Middle School and High School will return to all in person, five days a week learning on April 27.
March 13: COVID-19: One year later published on WSPN.
March 29: The Wayland Health Department suspended sign-ups for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination due to new state policies as of Monday, March 1.
March 29: WHS Principal Allyson Mizoguchi announced that Wayland High School Students will attend in-person classes on Wednesdays once the school shifts to the all-in, five days a week model starting Tuesday, April 27.
April 10: Wayland faculty held a Zoom call on Wednesday, March 17 for WHS students in ninth and tenth grade to share their concerns regarding the planned April 27 return to fully in-person school.
May 19: Wayland student-athletes no longer have to wear masks during outdoor practices and home games.
May 26: Then Wayland Public Schools Superintendent Arthur Unobskey notified Wayland families that on Wednesday, May 26, from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., vaccines will be distributed at Wayland High School.
Oct. 26: Junior class e-board postpones semiformal.
Nov. 5: Class of 2023 have their semi formal after many postponements due to COVID-19.
Nov. 17: Cafeteria tables return to WHS.
Nov. 2: Pfizer vaccine is approved for kids ages five to eleven.
Dec. 8: Wayland Youth Basketball returns from year-long hiatus due to COVID-19.

2022:

Jan. 3: Due to the omicron variant, WHS students received an email from principal Allyson Mizoguchi about safety protocols.
Jan. 6: Due to the large increase of COVID-19 cases in Wayland and surrounding towns, Wayland Athletic Director Heath Rollins announced in an email that a maximum of two family members per athlete will be allowed at winter sports games.
Jan. 10: WSPN posts a News Brief announcing that The Wayland School Committee voted to change the quarantine period required to return to school from 10 days to five days to be consistent with the CDC guidance.
Jan. 12: WHS administration decides to cancel the 2021-2022 school year midterms due to the recent surge of COVID-19
Feb. 5: Vaccine clinic at WHS is held from noon to 4 p.m.
Feb. 11: Tables return to the commons after being removed due to the omicron variant.
Feb. 14: Anti-mask protest occurs at WHS.
March. 7: Students return to WHS mask-optional and all social distancing restrictions no longer exist.