In-person learning: Majority of students take hybrid option

With+the+hybrid+option%2C+ninth+graders+will+have+14+in-person+days%2C+while+sophomores+and+juniors+will+each+have+12+days.+With+May+Project+beginning+May+10%2C+seniors+will+have+eight+days+in-person.+

Zoom and Ana Campos

With the hybrid option, ninth graders will have 14 in-person days, while sophomores and juniors will each have 12 days. With May Project beginning May 10, seniors will have eight days in-person.

Grace Holleb, Features Editor

Almost 60% of every high school grade has opted for hybrid learning. According to results of the survey completed by families by Feb. 21, 73% of ninth graders, 75% of sophomores, 68% of juniors and 58% of seniors are returning to school for two-day cycles by grade level starting March 8. Seniors who selected hybrid learning will have just eight scheduled days of in-person school before they begin May Project on May 10. 

Senior Orla Molloy elected to remain in distance learning to keep her family safe. 

“My main reason for not going back is that most of my family isn’t vaccinated yet,” Orla said. “As much as I want to see my friends, my family comes first.”

I do much better in an in-person environment, where I’m surrounded by my peers and making face-to-face connections with my teachers.

— Jackie Slimmon

A schedule published by the administration indicated ninth graders would have 14 in-person days, while sophomores and juniors would each have 12. 

“I don’t see the point when I’ll only be at school for about eight days,” Orla said. “I can understand why people want to go back to try and resume normal life, but I don’t think it’ll feel like going back to normal. I feel like I’ve adjusted well to remote learning, so I’m sticking with it.”

Jackie Slimmon, a sophomore who elected hybrid learning, is excited to see friends that she hasn’t seen in almost a year and looks forward to participating in school sports.

“I do much better in an in-person environment, where I’m surrounded by my peers and making face-to-face connections with my teachers,” Jackie said. 

Chinese language teacher Xiaoli Zhou has been teaching by Zoom from her classroom in Judd Hall most days. Although she said she is thrilled to start hybrid, she worries about teaching both in person and online at the same time and figuring out ways to effectively and productively teach hybrid. 

“It’s been so quiet or too quiet here without students in the Chinese classroom, which I often spend seven hours on the days I am here,” Ms. Zhou said. “It feels strange, depressing and incomplete, so I’m definitely excited about seeing some students as well as some colleagues.”