Throughout this school year, there has been much debate concerning whether or not students should return to school full-time.  Although many people are concerned for students’ safety, others feel that being in school full-time will allow students to focus better and will also be beneficial for their mental health.

Despite full-time school being more difficult to safely implement, this is not a huge concern for many students.  The school district has been planning this return for months, and would not permit us to return if they did not install effective safety measures.  In addition, having students come in full-time for the fourth quarter will allow for a better transition to next September.  Many students agree with this plan.

“Since we are all coming into school for the last part of this year, we will be able to practice before September and school will go more smoothly in the future,” said junior Emily Benson-Tyler.

Going into school full-time this year will allow a full, safe, efficient, and productive 2021-2022 school year.  Teachers and students will have practice going full-time and being in an environment with a greater number of students.  The transition away from a hybrid model to all in  will not only allow students and teachers to be prepared for next year, it will also greatly help students’ mental health and productivity.  Online school has become very isolating, harming students’ social lives.

“Being in school full-time will really help with my mental health,” said junior Jamie Goldman. 

Being able to socialize with classmates everyday will benefit students by giving them a sense of normalcy.

In addition, students will concentrate better if school is fully in-person.  Online school is not a normal learning environment because students are surrounded with so many distractions.  Students will be more productive and absorb more information when attending school in-person, which is ever-important for the impending AP exams, Regents, and finals. 

“I need school to be full-time in order to focus better, and being in school will really help me take in more material,” said junior Jae Longaro.

When half of the class is online with their cameras off, students struggle to focus and barely learn.  The reality is students need school full-time and it is the only way they can maximize their high school education.

Students and teachers will be able to further their connections with in-person school.  Teachers will better understand their students’ grasp on the concepts, and students will better understand the material.

Lastly, having school in person will encourage more students to come to school and participate in extracurricular activities.  Currently, many students are online because they are mentally drained, which detrimentally impacts their education.  Going in full-time will not only encourage students to consistently attend class, but will be another step towards normalcy.

Although everyone has different perspectives on whether school should resume fully in-person, a strong case can be made that it would be beneficial for both students and teachers.