So as a Holyoke student, I have talked about HHS’s new schedule introduced this past January. Today I’ll be going over a similar topic, this time being about HHS’ plans to return to in-person learning. As you may have heard throughout the school year, Holyoke High North Campus has had a lot of ideas to do this but had to hold off on them due to restrictions. Originally the plan was to return last February, but then it changed to March, and now it’s currently set for April. Now people have a lot of different opinions on whether or not we should return at all, so today I’ll be going over as many of those perspectives as possible. 

First up, let’s go over why some want to return to school so quickly. Well, there are some students who simply learn better when in a classroom. Personally, I am one of them, as trying to focus on the class while in my own home can be a bit difficult. There are also some teachers who find it easier to teach when they have a group of students actually in front of them. Not to mention, there are some classes that really work best when taught in person, like Physical Education, Theater, and some science classes. There’s no denying that going back to in-person learning would definitely benefit some people. 

But now, let’s talk about why some don’t want to go back to school. It’s no surprise that some would rather stay home, than risk getting sick. There are plenty of students and teachers alike, who think returning to school right now is too big of a risk, even with teachers starting to get access to vaccines. Not to mention, there’s a big chance that if we do go back to school, students will still have to use a Chromebook for all their classes, making the whole being in school thing kind of redundant for some. Even if schools do reopen with restrictions, there’s always a chance of people getting sick, and that’s a risk that some just can’t afford to take. 

Now as an HHS Senior, there’s a certain question I have to ask; What’s the point of returning now? HHS Seniors graduate this May, and school finishes for everyone else in June. Even if schools open up in April, we’d only be in person for maybe 2 months at most, even less so for Seniors. People have been doing remote learning for so long, that having a sudden switch to in-person learning may do more harm than good. Personally, I think our school district should focus more on preparing to return next school year, instead of getting ready for this one. Returning to school is important, but waiting for a safer, more appropriate time to do so, might just be the best move we can make.