Throughout the month of January our School Board has been hard at work debating plans of reopening our school district and it looks like it just might happen. Through various board meetings a plan was set in place to gradually allow every single grade back into the classroom before the end of the year. In order to safely go to school in person Wilsonville High School will start using the cohort system along with the CDL model.  Even though in March students will not be going back full time like usually, some students still can’t wait to be back in the classroom even if it is part time. 

Senior Etni Ruiz expresses, “I’m planning on going back to school in March because I don’t think I can do full online school anymore.” Just like Etni, many students have seen the toll online school has taken on them. On a daily basis kids seem to feel drained from sitting in front of their computers for so long and some studies have even expressed concern about health issues caused by online school. Teens for Teen Health says, “ Concerns ranging from eye strain and obesity to mood swings and depression have been widely noted in association with excessive screen time.” 

However, Etni also explains that going back to school is going to be a challenge as well. She says, “The thing I’m most worried about is it being really hard to go back to reality when we didn’t have to wear masks and social distance. It’s gonna be a struggle to adapt to the new “normal”.” 

Yet even with a little bit of worries Etni still explains her excitement for finally being able to go back to school in person again. She emphasizes, “ I’m most excited to see teachers and peers and to finally have some human interaction and some normality in a way.” 

Through all the zoom lessons it has become clear that many students, like Etni, miss the social interaction that high school brings. Hopefully in March students will be able to go back to some normality like Etni said.