Many people struggled last year during quarantine. This especially affected students and staff, who were forced to endure virtual learning due to COVID-19. However, this year, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has decided to bring back students to in-person learning. MCPS has committed to enforcing the use of face masks, providing COVID-19 tests for unvaccinated students, ensuring that learning facilities are constantly disinfecting classrooms, and continuously upgrading air filtration.
“Though sometimes it’s a bit anxious being surrounded by so many people, being able to finally see my friends, and just people in general, definitely helps my mood,” aid an eighth-grader at Cabin John Middle School (CJMS). “Also, it feels better actually knowing your teachers and being able to communicate face-to-face about any concerns,” she adds. She, like other students, is content to be learning in person rather than virtually. She also feels that it was “the right choice” to make considering how much students struggled during online school. She says that she is comfortable with the current MCPS social distancing regulations. However, she has concerns about social distancing on buses. “There really aren’t any regulations other than wearing a mask, and so many kids are crammed together. It makes me uncomfortable sometimes, but it’s not too bad.”
The MoCo Student also spoke to CJMS teacher Bianca Morales who said that she feels “that transition to in-person learning was a great decision because so many students were struggling to keep up with online tasks and bored of being stuck to a computer. Others were also distracted by family members or their technology,” Morales had mentioned. Additionally, Morales is comfortable with the distancing and hygiene protocols but does believe that there should be more rules implemented. “COVID-19 in general has turned our lives upside down…I was only anxious during the first two weeks of the pandemic, and then I realized it will all be okay, in the end, no matter the outcomes.”
Additionally, some parents have also shared similar thoughts on sending their children back to in-person learning. This includes Huyen and Minh Vo, the parents of four students. “At first, we were worried,” Huyen started, “but because the school takes its time to collect data, and because of the fact that a lot of people were already vaccinated… that eased our worries a little bit.” Minh Vo similarly agreed, and when asked what she thought of COVID-19 she said, “It’s something that nobody has dealt with before… it changed our lives in a lot of ways.” Although they are both taking COVID-19 seriously, they know they can’t realistically keep their children home for the foreseeable future. Overall, students and staff are thrilled to be back, and parents are relieved that in-person learning has resumed. Over quarantine, each student has struggled with learning in a virtual setting without personal contact. This school year brings an optimistic look at a normal classroom atmosphere. Hopefully, students will be able to stay in person this year under the threat of COVID-19 and be successful in their studies.
Written by Qwyen Le of Cabin John Middle School
Graphic courtesy of Valerie Fang of Richard Montgomery High School