DELPHOS, OH (WLIO) - The heat wave, not keeping learning at bay.
As students return to the classroom, but having to deal with high temperatures along with their school subjects.
"I think the first thing we think about is safety. We want to ensure the safety of our kids," said Adam Lee, Delphos St. John's Junior High and High School Principal.
Delphos Saint John's junior high and high school have limited air conditioning, a situation that many schools in West Central Ohio face. The high heat causes some changes to be made to keep students safe.
"A few years ago we decided to create a hot policy for our students, that allows them just to dress down to start the school year," said Lee. "And we do that for the first three weeks of the school year cause inevitably it seems the first day of school is the hottest of the year."
And if you walk into a classroom you see fans, fans, and even more fans, hoping to keep students cool. But if it gets too hot, teachers have the option of bringing students to an air-conditioned area.
"We have a chapel that is air-conditioned, our auxiliary gym is air-conditioned, our church is air-conditioned, so all of those locations are possible for our staff to create an alternative classroom," said Lee.
Water fountains also seem to be the best location to gather for students, as they stay hydrated during this heat wave.
"Normally I do fill up my water bottle, I try to do three times, normally it's only two, but that's okay," said Ella Wilson, Senior at Delphos St. John's. "I love classrooms that have lots of fans. So study hall is my first period of the day. That's the only class that has air conditioning."
And while students definitely feel the heat -- and we are talking about the weather, not their studies -- they know that since they are in the state of Ohio, the next day could be much better compared to the last.
"We usually complain a lot, does that get us anywhere? No. But I mean just sitting there fanning ourselves with whatever we have. And eventually, the day does end, even though it feels like ten times longer than it should," said Wilson.
