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The school shut its doors in mid-March like

others across America and class has been

convening online.

But the pandemic hasn’t stopped the presses on

the school year’s last edition of “The Yosemite

Eye,” a publication that has so charmed its

community it boasts a circulation of 5,000,

distributed by a local weekly newspaper.

The young reporters take their mission seriously:

“To give the outside world the inside scoop on

day-to-day life here,” as eighth grader Gabriela

Reyes-Morris puts it.

Their school is tucked in a meadow overlooking

Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in America

and a fine sight to see while playing kickball.

Teacher Cathy DeCecco fondly calls it “Little

House on the Prairie — with Wi-Fi and robotics

classes.” The Yosemite Valley School dates to

1875 when it was a one-room schoolhouse.

The playground and playing fields face the

towering waterfall, which offers a running

soundtrack and shakes the schoolhouse walls

when it reaches full throttle in spring. There’s a

massive old black oak tree outside that they sit

under and read when the weather is nice. They

have ski days in winter and go tadpoling in May.

Yosemite is usually teeming with visitors this

time of year, and the park has indicated it may

partially reopen in June.

Until then, there is an abundance of material

to report from a Yosemite so majestic in

its emptiness it feels like an Ansel Adams

photograph come to life.

“Covid-19 is not affecting the pretty flowers,”

said Pearl Johnson, 10. “And it’s not affecting

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