By Avni Arora
On November 17 of 2020, Lightridge High School held a simulation for a hybrid model of distance learning. Teachers and students were asked to come in and recreate what, as per the county’s plans, a day using the hybrid model would look like. The Bolt Report spoke to several students who participated in the simulation to get their thoughts on how the transition back to in-person school would go.
When asked if there was a change in information she was able to retain from being at school than from being at home, 10th grader Andawen Sauder said, “I’ve found that it’s much more difficult being able to retain what I’ve learned from home. At home, I’m a lot more easily distracted, which I know hinders me in my learning. That’s why I’m excited for the hybrid option – I think it will make it easier to keep myself accountable, and give me a better opportunity to learn new material.”
10th grader Tiffany Quagilata agreed, “I was able to retain so much more information in person (during the simulation) than online.”
At the start of the year, parents and teachers were concerned about how productive students would be considering they have more flexibility when they are in the comfort of their homes. It is likely that these concerns will decrease as a fraction of the students start going to school a couple times a week. Sauder thought that this time away from the classroom might negatively impact students when they return.
“In-person school,” said Sauder, “ will involve a more rigorous schedule and less flexibility that will be difficult to get accustomed to after working from home for so long.”
This is before students have to deal with all of the physical difficulties being in school with other students presents from a safety standpoint.
“I think it will be difficult, “ said Quagilata, “ because we aren’t used to being so far apart from each other.”
As of this writing, the Loudoun County School Board had yet to set a date for hybrid learning to start. Whenever it is decided, there will be safety precautions taken at school. It may be difficult for those that are going back to school to adapt to them, but they are there to ensure the safety of all the people who work, teach, and learn at Lightridge.