Covid has been a topic of discussion for many adults, but not many people have even considered asking students what they are thinking and feeling about this topic. Having the chance to express my concerns, my opinion, and my thoughts about returning to school in April has allowed me to research the issue in a more personal fashion. Thus, I believe we should return to school in April with appropriate safety measures input.

 In-Person school isn’t just about friends or having fun; the school provides us with academic skills and skills we’ll need later on in life. Emotional skills, organizational skills, and other support services that children/ and adolescents need. During the pandemic, everyone was affected. Families. Workers. The district took students out of school due to the pandemic. For some, the school was an escape from home life. They could be themselves, were at home, they couldn’t. The way we learned at school is way different than virtual. Everything is so much harder. We don’t want to be sitting in front of a screen for 6-7 hours every day. Then do homework for the rest of the day. Many teens suffer from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and school helped because you were surrounded by people that make you forget about all that. We can’t learn new skills at home. It’s not the same. Support services that we had at school are now over the screen. It doesn’t help. We need certain things from school that we cannot get at home. 

Although therapists in schools aren’t the only option, outside school, some therapists are willing to help students with whatever is going on. Maybe that isn’t the case for some students. Therapists and counselors who work in the school have already gained trust from the students to make them easier to talk to. Teens are willing to open up to them without being afraid. 

In addition, Extra-Curricular activities can only be done in school because online activities don't sound like much fun. Children enjoy being around their peers, playing around, and having fun. They should not be spending 7 hours in front of a computer screen. Young children need to be in a classroom where they cannot be distracted by the tv or toys in their room. As for high schoolers, we need to prepare for college and our future. Clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities will lead us in the right direction and cannot be done over the screen. 

Many clubs have online activities and projects that also benefit us in the long run. Let’s be honest here, though. Where are the fun and enthusiasm participating in a club online? You are not socializing with your friends and expressing yourself how you would in person. We aren’t experiencing all the fun things that go on in high school. Fun is what we need at times like this. 

The epidemic has affected many minorities such as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/Alaska Native children and adolescents, and low-income families, extremely tough. One in every five adolescents has been unable to complete schoolwork at home due to a lack of a computer or internet access. When we began doing virtual learning, many students were unable to due to home issues. Many didn't have internet access or didn’t have laptops to do their schoolwork. The teens who were/are in this situation are struggling. Why? Imagine how they feel when they are trying to learn, but the laptop keeps shutting down, or when they don’t have internet access, they have to miss out on days of school. It makes them feel like they are doing something wrong. But it isn’t their fault. Millions of students are using the apps and internet for school, which causes them even more stress. 

Many will say that the students can go to a library because it has internet access and everything you need. Well, maybe those kids don’t have a nearby library. Some families don’t have something to transport them from home to the library. The city buses don’t arrive the times you need them to, so that really isn’t the best option for them either. 

After looking deeper at the research and partaking in the discussion, I hope to come together to take ownership of our own learning as we demand that the board consider our needs.