Coronavirus, officially named COVID-19, is the latest crisis on University Prep students’s minds, in the media and in all conversation. Transitioning from busy schedules of rigorous academics, social interaction and after-school extracurriculars to self-quarantine and social distancing, students lives have changed greatly.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Since then, the crisis has escalated quickly. In Washington state, as of press time, there are 6,585 reported cases and 262 deaths, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

Due to the increasing health hazards, UPrep made the decision to close school, moving to online learning on March 8.

“The call to cancel classes came in consultation with peer schools in the area and after consultation with several healthcare professionals in our community. It was not an easy decision by any means,” Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ken Jaffe said.

The initial plan was for the campus to reopen on March 23, two weeks after closing. However, on March 12, Governor Jay Inslee announced that all K-12 schools would be required to close through April 24 in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The next day, March 13, Inslee expanded the closure to include all K-12 schools in the state.

On April 2, Inslee announced that the existing shelter-in-place order, issued March 23, would remain until May 4. A spokesperson for the state superintendent said school closures would likely be extended as well, according to a report by King 5 News.

Due to the ever-changing nature of the virus, UPrep has sent out repeated updates to families about the school’s response to the virus. A March 18 email to families laid out the uncertainties regarding different school-related events.

“What will our plan be for intensives given the uncertain timing of our return to school? How will athletics practices, games, and tournaments unfold? What adjustments, if any, should we make to our daily schedule as the online format stretches out?” Jaffe wrote.

As it stands, UPrep administrators remain unsure about whether the school will resume classes on April 24.

“As you might imagine, this is tough to navigate given all the uncertainty, but we will provide direction as soon as next steps become clear,” Jaffe said.

In efforts to engage the community while away, physical education teacher and department head Kayla Robertson and Director of Athletics Rebecca More have created a wellness Instagram — @uprepwellness  — to encourage social distancing while still enjoy the outdoors. Despite the campus closure, the community continues to hold regular activities virtually, including regular advisory sessions, announcements and college meetings.

Responses to online learning and social distancing have varied. Senior Antonio Bernardo described the challenges of distance learning.

“Online learning is just not the same. The best part of school is being with your friends and not being able to do that makes the school day very boring,” Bernardo said.

Seniors at UPrep are especially affected by this closure considering that it is their last semester of high school.

“As a senior, this closure makes me really sad. This is meant to be the most fun time of high school for us, and we are missing out on it,” Bernardo said.