It’s a breath of fresh air for most Guam charter schools as they are dropping the mandates for mask-wearing and social distancing outdoors on campuses. 

Career Tech High Academy Charter School, Guahan Academy Charter School, and iLearn Academy Charter School are picking up on the island’s chief executive recommendations as Guam continues to record fewer residents testing positive for COVID-19. 

After two years of enforcing mask-wearing on school grounds for both employees and students, iLearn Chief Academic Officer Rachel Alquero Stake says it’s refreshing to see children playing outdoors maskless. 

"I walk around the campus every day during school hours and so it's really nice actually to see a lot of our students, especially the younger ones running around during recess some of them without their masks and how freeing it looks like you forget what that looks like having students run around being kids without masks so it is nice," she said.  It’s a very welcomed change, especially after two years of being masked up, I’m sure they enjoy it to be able to breathe and be kids outside."

 

Science Is Fun and Awesome Learning Academy Charter School or SIFA still requires students to socially distance and wear masks outdoors. 

Meanwhile, COVID safety guidelines remain status quo indoors for all charter schools.