By Raquel Catpo, Staff Writer
Before spring break, students at Mills were given the opportunity to choose whether they wanted to attend hybrid learning, enabling them to go back to school for a few days a week, or stay at home and continue distance learning for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Many students chose to stay at home, perhaps to avoid possible COVID-19 risks. Others chose to go back to campus for various reasons, like receiving extra support or learning in a more suitable environment.
In order to ensure the safety of students and staff, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) developed a reopening plan, with detailed mandates and rules. For example, face coverings are required to be worn at all times and everyone must maintain a minimum of 6 feet of physical distance. Students are also required to pass a health screening using the LiveSafe app. Those who opted for in person classes were separated into two groups, Cohort A and Cohort B. Cohort A attends in-person learning on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Cohort B attends on Thursdays and Fridays. Both cohorts stay at home on Wednesdays. On March 31st, freshmen took a tour around campus to locate their classes. The hybrid classes began on April 1st and 2nd.
When asked why she chose to take in-person classes, Kira Woo (9) explained, “I wanted to experience a little bit of my freshman year and be able to see some friends. I think it is better for students to learn in person because there’s a safe, good environment for learning and it’s more engaging having the teacher there in real life.” Woo also mentioned how helpful it is to talk to teachers and ask more questions directly. Regarding challenges during in-person learning, Woo stated, “My biggest struggles going back to school was getting used to the large campus and how things work during hybrid learning.”
Students in higher grades, like juniors or seniors, who are back on campus are also unfamiliar with the new schedule and rules. Katelyn Lee (12) chose to return to in-person classes because she wanted to spend her last days at Mills on campus, with her friends and teachers. As she pointed out the differences between the current in-person learning model and her previous years at Mills, Lee stated, “It’s different because not all my friends are on campus so that sense of normalcy isn’t completely there. We also don’t have a bell anymore so it’s a little weird leaving class without a bell schedule.” Despite being in different grades, Woo and Lee have similar reasons for their choices, which isn’t surprising considering how COVID-19 has kept us away from seeing friends.
While there are challenges and benefits that come with both learning environments, at school versus at home, students are all receiving the same education. As COVID-19 vaccinations are increasing daily, many parents and students are hopeful that all students will return to in-person learning for the next school year.
