By Stacey Sheldon

September 15, 2021--After a nineteen month closure due to the covid pandemic, school is back in session for Mendocino County's Ukiah Unified School District. Earlier this month, UUSD reopened its 16 schools throughout the Ukiah area to serve their population of approximately 6,000 K-12 students. The return to in person learning provides yet the latest challenge for students and teachers as they navigate their way out of isolation, distance and screen reliance to return to classrooms peopled with classmates, teachers, and the need to follow the social norms of an academic setting.