I can confidently say that COVID has impacted most of our lives. Whether it be the lockdown and not seeing friends, or losing loved ones, or simply the fear of catching it, almost all of us have been affected. You check the news to hear the most recent COVID updates and if you’re a parent, you’ve probably received emails about your kid being in close contact. Schools all over the world are facing dilemmas on how to handle COVID and what exactly would be best. All we hear about are numbers, but we almost never hear what the students have to say and just how this pandemic has affected our teens. 

It was Friday March 13th, 2020, when I received a phone call from the school telling students and parents that we would be having no school the following week regarding the spreading sickness. Me alongside many other students, were overjoyed in our sudden week off. None of us could suspect what would lie in the future.

One week turned into 2, and soon 2 weeks turned into months. We lost multiple weeks of learning while schools had to scramble together a remote plan. Remote school was at first very confusing and different for everyone, but soon turned into a daily routine. Summer came, and things started to get better, or so we thought. During the summer, most kids thought we’d return to normal school when fall came around. 

High school remained fully remote for a couple months until we transitioned into what we called the Hybrid Model. Hybrid consisted of 3 cohorts. Cohort A, where kids came to school in person Monday and Tuesday and would be online for the remainder of the week. Cohort B was similar, but instead kids were online Monday and Tuesday and in person Thursday Friday. Wednesday was always a remote day for both cohorts so costonians could do a deep clean of the school in preparation for the next group of kids. Cohort C was fully remote under a Florida learning plan for those who felt unsafe being around large groups of kids. 

Few months before summer 2021, our school returned to full in-person learning and since then, has been that way. It was very doable at first, and students felt safe being at school with such strong rules to help with covid. Since the beginning of the new school year, 21-22, the past covid protocols have either been lessened or completely thrown away, which made some students feel uncomfortable. 

With the recent record breaking spike in cases in the United States, many students have shown fear and anxiety while coming to school. Multiple kids having covid while in school, many students not wearing their mask correctly or even at all, and almost no social distancing rules. Many schools across the state of Mass are struggling, but there’s not much we can’t do about it.

Governor Baker of Massachusetts has made his view on school closures clear, and that is they are not allowed. He believes in-person learning is safe, regardless of the 50,000+ students testing positive within the first two weeks of 2022. Public schools have their hands tied, and are truly trying their best to handle staff shortages and covid. Baker is strong on getting vaccinated, but breakthrough cases are appearing more and more each coming day. We know masks and being vaccinated are most effective against COVID, but over 20% of people in Mass still remained unvaccinated.

We know the history of schools during covid, but what are the students’ thoughts? Some students loved remote learning, while others couldn’t focus or learn anything. Some kids saw an increase in mental health, while others were completely destroyed.

I asked senior Ariana Goulkin what their thoughts were about remote learning and how it affected them.

“Being remote was a very interesting challenge for me. I’ve always been pretty independent, so the school work was easy for me, but being away from everyone and never getting to partake in any school events was really tough on me.”

The social aspect seems to be a common one. Many kids throughout remote learning have expressed a decline in mental health because of the lack of seeing other people and their friends. Of course, many kids hung out during remote learning, but not everyone had that option, and therefore could not see their friends. 

I asked senior Adalia Perez what her thoughts were on the current COVID protocols being enforced at school, and whether or not she felt safe.

“No.” Perez immediately stated, “It’s not that I’m worried for myself, but I’m worried for others. Just because we’re young, doesn’t mean all of us will be okay. On top of that, we don’t know everyone’s home life, and if they live with a sick grandparent or not.”

I also asked Perez whether she preferred remote or online, and she agreed with Goulkin that remote would be the better option.

As I listen to people’s options on remote vs in-person, I can hear lots of people saying they aren’t a fan of remote, but believe it is best amid the current spike. But, there’s still kids who say otherwise.

I asked Junior Kayli Richey whether she prefers in person or remote, and this was her answer.

“In person.” Richey would state, “I think it’s way better due to the fact that we aren’t on our electronics 24/7 and plus, we have no distractions. I feel kids learn better when they’re in person and well, it works for me that way. A lot of kids have failed with remote, I know from experience, so in person would be the better option for me.”

Richey’s view on this matter would be a common answer. While remote, some schools saw a decline in grades, while others saw increases. Multiple students have expressed loss of motivation, and completing their work suddenly became a struggle. With this loss of motivation, it would also destroy their mental health, making school just that much harder. 

Senior Makayla Hyde had a viewpoint on both sides, but ultimately decided with remote learning. 

“In person learning is a great source for students who have difficulties completing work from home, but for the public’s safety and students safety, remote learning should be the option chosen.” Hyde stated, “So many health risks are taken while in person and exposes more people to covid while in school. If everyone in school is getting covid, staying home can help dissipate the numbers and is also an easier option for teachers who get covid and cannot actively teach.”

Overall, the draw between in-person and remote learning seems 50/50. So many kids prefer in-person, but ultimately believe remote learning should be offered amid covid spikes. On top of the kids safety, we also have to consider the teachers as well. Teacher shortages are becoming more and more common among school districts, with teachers having to supervise a class during their free class. Without an online system, teachers who catch covid and need to be there with students, are now a week behind on work. With issues occurring all over the state, and our governor’s stance on remote learning, many schools are left defenseless and overwhelmed.