Cherry Creek High School has had a COVID-19 outbreak according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment guidelines. All cohort A students will transition to remote learning until Tuesday, September 29th. 

According to a call from Cherry Creek on Tuesday, September 15th, the outbreak has”been tied directly to students attending off campus parties the last two weekends.”  146 students and 14 staff members have had to quarantine as a result. The entire cohort was then sent home because there were so many students that were affected by the quarantine. 

“I think it’s ridiculous that people were so inconsiderate and threw parties during a global pandemic without thinking about how that could negatively affect the rest of us,” senior Meredith Eckler said.

The students who tested positive were last at school on Wednesday, September 9. At this time Cohort B is unaffected even though they could have gone to the same parties.

Starting Tuesday the new learning plan will consist of synchronous learning for Cohort A. That means students are learning on a set schedule with calls from their teachers. Students need to look at their creekmail and schoolgy to get links from their teachers.  

Students that were sent home were unhappy with the partygoers.

“I’m frustrated with the school closure because it’s so irritating,” senior Anjali Kurse said. “Most of us have been extremely responsible, wearing our masks consistently and avoiding gatherings, but the actions of just a few people make the rest of our lives so difficult.”

The school was shut down Wednesday to be cleaned. 

“I’d rather be in person than online,” senior Tony Enbold said. “I also understand that with what’s going on, the school would be irresponsible not to close down.”

Students saw that the reason for the shift to remote learning is so that we can be safe and eventually stop the spread of the virus. 

“The whole point of pulling through during this time is to be able to party and safely go to school when covid dies down,” junior Priya Bhavikatti said. 

Other students may now face difficulties accessing the internet and other that school provides. If students or families need help accessing technology they should contact the school to inquire about necessary resources. 

“It’s unfair to those who have real disadvantages to learn at home,” said Bhavikatti,  “Access to the internet could be scarce at home and the home environment could be too toxic to focus on learning.”

Principal Ryan Silva ended his email with a direct plea for students and families: “It’s time to think beyond oneself so our children and our peers aren’t impacted by the loss of learning and activities.” Other students are echoing Silva’s message in his email. They believe that people must support each other and stay safe, 

“You are putting teachers, students, and staff members at risk because you got bored of not seeing your friends constantly,” Kurse said.