Face-to-face learning begins 6 months after it ended
September 3, 2020
It’s been six months since the school has been filled with students bustling around but that all changed on Thursday morning when the bell for 1st period chimed at 9:00 a.m.
“I am looking forward to seeing my friends when I go back to school because I have not been able to see many of them due to the pandemic,” sophomore Rachel Kim said. “Also, I am excited to be going back into a classroom, because I found staring at a computer screen for most of the day is challenging and tiresome.”
However, not everybody is quite sure that having students back on campus is the best idea.
“I’ve been extremely cautious during this pandemic, and I’d always rather be safe than sorry,” science teacher Joann Leung said. “Personally, I don’t think it’s a great idea for students to be coming back to school. The number of cases is much higher than they were in the spring and gathering in the same building all day, every day doesn’t seem like the best idea. However, I do understand the desire to come back to school, to socialize and learn. It’s a hard battle and everyone will have different opinions about it.”
Although there may be risks, students such as junior Salika Meghani say there are also benefits to being back at school.
“The benefits are being in a good learning environment and going back to reality,” Meghani said. “The disadvantages are probably the way we have to go back- with all the safety precautions and stuff.”
Teachers such as Leung are taking extra care in their own classes for more protection.
“I’m ensuring that all desks are at least six feet away from each other. Before students come in, desks, chairs, and door handles will be sanitized,” Leung said. “While the district is allowing mask breaks, I am personally not planning on having that in my classroom. I don’t think that everyone taking off their masks will be a good idea.”
But for students such as Meghani, it’s time to be back at school.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone again and being in classrooms,” Meghani said. “I think I learn better in the classroom.”