We’re Back! Students Discuss a Return to In-Person Instruction

For many students, seeing their friends and playing sports were part of everyday life before Covid. The pandemic changed all of that and many have struggled to adapt to learning and life mostly through computer screens. 

Finally, things are improving. Now that schools are back in session and all students have had the option to return to full in-person daily instruction, one student, Junior Dayna Winkler, said she is glad to be back. 

“Switching from virtual to in person was definitely a weird change” she said. “I was nervous during my first week in-school because I wasn’t used to seeing everyone. After a bit you get used to it and you start to remember what it was like before COVID. I’m happy to be back in school and see my friends and teachers/staff.”.

As a student athlete, Winkler greatly enjoys being able to play the sports she loves. Not only that, but as a very social person, she greatly values seeing not just her peers, but the joyful staff, she explained.

Another student, Nanuet Senior Jimmy Whitney, said he is excited to be reunited with friends at school again.

“It feels great to see the school filled up again,” he said. Classes used to be so empty. It’s also easier to concentrate now rather than online learning.”

Though some students are still online, Whitney, like many other students, said he enjoys being able to socialize in person with friends, adding that it allows him to make valuable high school memories and connections. 

Online learning can make concentrating quite difficult, according to Whitney. This is especially an issue for those who already struggle with it. Due to audio cut outs, WIFI issues, distractions at home, and general limitations of online learning, some students feel they can’t learn as well as they used to, he added. 

Being back allows students like Whitney to not only interact with others again, but also concentrate on the valuable information they’re expected to learn. 

Overall, it is safe to say that with successful social distancing, students are truly glad to be back in school.