Al fresco Students

Marcus Larson/News-Register ## On the McMinnville High School stadium bleachers, Alannah Doherty, her friend Gracie Mackay and other students in Wendy Maselli’s Advanced Language and Literature class write letters of introduction to their teacher, their first assignment of the year.

Marcus Larson/News-Register ## Advanced Language students walk around the McMinnville High School track while discussing ideas for a writing assignment.

McMinnville student are happy to be back in school full time after more than a year of distance learning and small group, part-time learning.

But they’re glad to be out of school, too, when it comes to having some of their classes on the lawn beside the soccer field or in the McMinnville High School stadium.

“Outside is better. I can have my mask off and breathe,” said Iker Figuero, a sophomore.

His friend and classmate Gael Ornelas agreed. “The fresh air feels good!” he said during an advanced English class.

Gael, Iker and other students in Wendy Maselli’s class spaced themselves far apart on the benches at the front of the stadium. Although everyone was at least 3 feet apart, most much farther, many students kept their masks on out of habit.

“We’re used to having masks on,” Alannah Doherty said, adding that she’s glad to be outside anyway.

Her friend Gracie Mackey nodded. She said she’s come to feel safer with the mask on than off. “I like having class in the fresh air,” she said through her mask.

Gracie, Alannah and other Advanced Language and Literature students spent the first few minutes of the class listening to instructions from Maselli. Then they followed their teacher out of the building and toward the stadium, where they usually spend Friday nights watching the Grizzlies. 

They climbed into the stands and bent over their Chromebooks. Today’s assignment: Write an introductory letter to their teacher.

It was their first writing assignment of the new school year. “I haven’t written for awhile,” Alannah said, saying the words were coming a little slowly. “I like writing, but I need to get back into it.”

For Alannah and other sophomores, it also was their first Monday in person at Mac High. They had spent their freshman year mostly learning online from home.

Getting up early and traveling to school is tiring, Amy Botanas said. “I’m looking forward to the weekend!” she said.

She had talked about that with one of her classmates during another part of the Advanced Language class. Maselli asked students to break into pairs or trios and walk around the track, talking to each other.

These “walk and talks” are a good way to practice expressing yourself and to get to know other students, and they give students a break from sitting, she said. 

For Amy, walking around the track was a treat on a beautiful day. And just being back to in-person school is a treat, too, she said.

“I missed my friends!” she said. “Online learning was boring, and it was harder to learn that way. This is nice.”

Back in the stadium after their walk and talk, Iker and Gael agreed. 

“I was tired of staring at a screen,” Gael said. 

Iker said online learning was pretty easy for him, but this is better.

“I wanted to see what high school was like,” he said. “It’s pretty fun.”

Iker added, “And now we can go out for lunch,” something that wasn’t allowed the last time they were in a school building, as eighth-graders.

“Yes!” Gael said.