There have been a few concerns that we may have a repeat of last year. Going on Thanksgiving break or winter break and never returning back for in-person learning. As cases rise in Arizona and winter sports get postponed there have been questions if in-person learning is safe or if it is time to switch back to online for the rest of the year. 

People started seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in September with returning back to school, things opening up, and corona cases dropping all around. But now we might be back to online learning and quarantine. We all try to stay optimistic, which is something we have all learned to do, because of these tough times. But cases are starting to rise again and we do need to think of our safety and staying apart until a vaccine is out.

Around all schools and districts there have been questions if we will come back after Thanksgiving break since some districts and schools are slowly shutting their doors and returning to online learning . Paradise Valley School District and Laveen School Districts are just a few examples of the districts not liking what they see in their metrics and choosing to go online.

Are we all ready to go back to online learning? For me, no. I might not enjoy school as much as other activities in my life, but having a routine and having to do my work in school keeps me on track for getting good grades. While at home people have been known to not take it seriously, not get their work done, and fall asleep in the middle of zoom calls. All classic examples of why nobody likes zoom calls.

Yes, staying at home is a very good way to control any outbreaks of COVID. The more we all stay apart hopefully will cause a decrease in cases. It might not be as bad as we think to stay home since many kids like the freedom to get their work done whenever they want and not having to get ready in the morning and drive anywhere to get to school. The more we get to sleep the better. Looking at the upsides of staying at home is what will keep us all going in these tough times. 

A few years ago none of us would have thought that staying home would be annoying or a chore, and at the beginning I would believe all our past selves, but now I would rather sit at school. Something I never thought I would ever say. You don’t get interaction with friends, teachers, and sometimes it’s harder to comprehend everything when your teachers are teaching you through a screen. 

Nothing has been set in stone yet and the plan is to return after Thanksgiving break and hopefully get to end the semester on a good note just in time for winter break. Fingers crossed that 2021 turns out to be a better year than now.