Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions
March 26, 2021
By Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau
Podcast Editors
The 2020-2021 school year has been nothing like Millikan students imagined their school year to be. No social events, difficulty seeing people outside of Zoom, postponement of several entertainment events, and arising mental health crises involving students.
Regardless of the unfortunate circumstances, some students, teachers, and staff have become accustomed to this new way of living, making going back to school an unfavorable decision. In March 2021, Millikan parents were sent an email via Parentvue asking whether their student(s) would attend school for the remainder of the year or remain in an online setting.
QUEST senior Ramon Rivera Astorga states, “I will continue online learning due to having to develop a new schedule. I found new ways to use up my free time and I’ve made commitments to certain things that I cannot give up on.” Returning to school for many is not an option as during COVID many of us have picked up responsibilities such as: caring for siblings, part-time jobs, maintaining a consistent routine, etc.
The second issue is there is no certainty that students will be cautious and practice safety protocols, once students and staff are informed of the safety procedures. It’s a strong misconception that when students are eligible to return to school grounds, things will return to normal, when in fact, students and other staff members must stress the importance of following these set health guidelines. MBA Senior, Daniela Duarte admitted, “I definitely am not going to be six feet away from my friends, we probably would not touch each other or items, but I know we would not social distance.” Similarly, QUEST senior, Myles Ware states, “If I were at school I would try to hang out with my friends, and unless I were instructed not to do so, I would probably forget that I had to stay six feet away.”
Data from hopkinsmedicine.org shows that individuals under the age of 18 are less likely to become infectiously ill from the COVID-19 virus. Although this may be true, students and staff can spread COVID amongst teachers, administration, and other personnel. Considering that the COVID-19 vaccine was not required for Millikan staff and the vaccine is not yet available to students, we cannot ensure that all staff will be safe.
Finite math teacher Andy Lewis states, “I feel safe. Or rather, I don’t think COVID-19 poses a serious health threat to myself, to almost all of our students, and to most of the staff on campus. The evidence is pretty clear that the virus is a serious health risk to only segments of our population, the elderly, the overweight, those with pre-existing health conditions, those with compromised immune systems. My greatest fear is not to my own health, but that I might get the virus and spread it to someone more vulnerable.”
© PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWEEK.ORG
Students practicing social distance protocols during in-person learning. Since school hasn’t started in person yet here are images of what it looks like at other high schools around the country.
While some believe Covid is not a threat, there is another issue that arises. Specifically, the possibility of students and or staff presenting the COVID-19 virus to friends and or family once leaving school grounds. In most cases, the virus can be identifiable by many factors, but it can easily become difficult if that infected individual carries asymptomatic infection.
Considering that not every student can be on campus at the same time, there will be a rotation system in place to accommodate everyone, we’re calling this, the ‘Hybrid System’. Students will be split up and assigned certain days of the week to attend in-person school, while the other group learns via Zoom. This indicates that teachers will simultaneously be teaching a physical group of students in their classroom while teaching a group of students via Zoom. “I do have concerns about working with my online Zoom students and my in-person student leaders at the same time. It will be a challenge,” stated Activities Director, Grant Robinson.
Taking everything into account, it can be easily inferred that in-person learning isn’t the most sensible route for students and administration to pursue. We are still figuring out how to safely perform daily tasks without jeopardizing the safety of others, so naturally, it’s more advantageous to prioritize our health and well-being, rather than leisure activities. Although it would be nice to return to the days prior to the global pandemic, it’s simply unfeasible given our current situation.
Jonathan Lemus • Apr 1, 2021 at 2:06 pm
April 1, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions” Talks about students’ concerns about returning to school and how the school will deal with these concerns. Arriyon gave us a teachers perspective on how they feel about this issue quoting “I feel safe. Or rather, I don’t think COVID-19 poses a serious health threat to myself, to almost all of our students, and to most of the staff on campus” this perspective is very important to listen to because its a debatable discussing because it might not pose a serious threat to the schools health because more than half of the staff coming back are vaccinated, it might not be a threat to the young students without health issues but it definitely does pose a threat to the ones with health issues and with family members who aren’t vaccinated yet. I also agree with Arriyon because I do feel like the school isn’t going to be the same because we have a lot of regulations that just make everything different. I feel like at the end of the day students aren’t really going to follow the regulations after a while that’s just what I think because other schools around the country have proven that the regulations just disappear after a while putting some people in danger. I would like to Thank Arriyon for providing us with this helpful information about the reopening schools situation.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Lemus, Grade 12
Jhoely Mora-Cardenas • Apr 1, 2021 at 1:54 pm
Dear Cordyn Editor,
In Issue 7 ( March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back to Schoolyard with Precautions”. I will admit it’s been very hard to have a school year with no interaction and having to adjust to distance learning has been very difficult. As a senior it’s been very saddening to think we had no senior year and will go about our ways without it. For many people it is needed to go back to school and get that in person feeling, although how Arriyon mentioned some of us have got used to this way of learning. Not only that but for many doing school from home just works better because of siblings or work. I would agree with everything that Ramon said because it feels too far into the year to return back and have to pick up a new routine that would make things more difficult for not only myself but for my family. This is why I have chosen to continue with distance learning. Another reason as mentioned is not keeping apart from friends and not practicing safety procedures. Covid-19 is not to not be taken lightly as we all know by now and I personally don’t feel comfortable returning and putting not only myself but my family at risk. I don’t understand how the school will keep teenagers apart. Especially remembering how crowded those hallways are during the passing period. I’m excited to see how the rotation system will work out for those returning to in person instruction.
Kennedie Nguyen • Apr 1, 2021 at 12:44 pm
April 1, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), the podcast editors, Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau, wrote an article entitled, “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. The article goes in depth about the disadvantages of online learning, the safety precautions that are going to be placed for those who are attending in-person classes, perspectives on the idea, and much more. The article mentions perspectives of multiple teachers, which I believe is really brilliant for the readers because it gives them an idea of what others think about the initial topic. It also allows for others to also learn and elaborate on those certain opinions. I believe Arriyon and Jai’La did a great job also including the mental health issues towards students, in regards to online learning. Although it did provide great evidence, I would like to also see the teacher’s opinion on online learning, and if covid-19 affects the mental health of adults as well. After reading about the hybrid rotation system, although it seems great, I believe that the school district should have waited until next year to have a more proficient system. Personally, everything seems rushed. With that being said, I have some questions, which are: Do you believe this system is safe for students and teachers ? Do you think the school district should have waited until next year ? Thank you for writing another great article, and I hope you all stay safe.
Sincerely,
Kennedie Nguyen, Grade 11
Tatiana Rios • Apr 1, 2021 at 12:05 pm
April 1, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Aarriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. Within the article, the writers talk about Millikan High School students and teachers going back to school to finish the rest of the 2020-2021 school year. With this being the topic, the writers include the possible outcome of this event and even direct quotes from both students and teachers. One of direct student quotes being about how personally that student will not be going back to school because they have already developed an at home schedule and have found ways to spare their free time. As a student myself, I completely agree with this in which I will not be going back to school because of these reasons and I also know many others who won’t because of this as well. One of the outcomes the writers talk about is students not following the staying six feet apart rules. I think this is a big issue with going back to school because students will be seeing their friends for the first time after a while and it will make them want to be close to each other, completely forgetting about staying far apart. This is also an issue because this can lead to spreading the virus within the students and to their families. Overall, both of the writers do a great job in talking about the outcome of students going back to school by using direct quotes from students and teachers and other schools.
Kylie Plooster • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:53 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an outstanding article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. This article deals with the recent argument having to do with students returning to in-person learning. Byers also discusses both the positives and negatives of the new hybrid schedule. While some agree to the new changes, most think it is an unwise decision. Quest Senior Myles Ware states how he would probably forget about the guideline to social distance from his friends, unless he is told otherwise. MBA Senior, Daniela Duarte says the exact same. This is a major concern because it is a health violation and a big way to spread the virus.
Going back in-person means “normal” to some people, although that is not exactly the case. There will be lots of precautions set and many guidelines to follow, as assumed there would be. Finite teacher Andy Lewis explains how he is more concerned about carrying the virus and passing it on, weather than getting the virus. This is a huge issue and definitely something to be worried about. This is a massive argument between all schools, teachers, staff and students however, there is nothing we can do about it. We are all simply concerned and at edge about how the remainder of this school year will partake.
Sincerely,
Kylie Plooster, Grade 11
Dyana Garcia • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:24 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions” which discusses students’ concerns about returning to school. In the article, Arriyon Byers presented a unique perspective on why they are not going and why they are doing it. Because there is so much pressure on this decision, it demonstrates how difficult it will be. Since this information became public, many students have been ecstatic at the idea of things returning to “normal.” However, opening schools during this time does not guarantee that things will be the same as they were before. The pandemic is still going on and many people even now struggle with following the safety rules, which could happen for the people returning to school. That seems to be a major source of concern to keep everyone safe. I really enjoyed the quotes from students who had considered returning but had not yet done so. Getting a different perspective shows everyone’s perspective, and I think it’s really great. I hope that while school goes back into session everyone stays safe and healthy.
mahalia dominguez • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:23 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled ¨Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions¨. First off I would like to say what an amazing job you did on writing this article. This is a difficult topic because there are so many points of views and perspectives on going back to school and I think you addressed everything clearly. I love the fact that the first thing you addressed was how hard this school year has been and you even included the events we’ve unfortunately lossed. I completely agree with you on the fact that when students do return to campus there will be many who act out against protocols. I have a few suggestions on things you could include to better this article. You could have talked about why us as students may not follow protocols when returning to campus and how hard it will be for us to adjust to the way things are going to be run.
To add onto that I do have a few concerns about the on campus learning. I fear that teachers are going to struggle adjusting to teaching in person and online at the same time. How are they going to focus on both the students in class and the students via zoom? Although there is not much I can suggest towards this I would like to say that maybe teachers can focus on the via zoom students half way through the class then assign them work and then work with the other half after. Overall thank you for sharing such an amazing and important article for many to read and can relate to!
Sincerely,
Mahalia Dominguez, Grade 11
Samarra Monrroy • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:14 am
April 1, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article titled “ Back to the schoolyard with precautions”. In the article, it talks about the problems that us students are having due to the pandemic. They realized that many students did not want to go back to school because of responsibilities they now had and the free time they’d like to keep. Another issue they are worrying about is students and staff making sure they follow the safety guidelines that are put in place for the school. A few students even admitted that staying six feet apart from their friends is something that they would most likely abstain from doing and would probably forget at times as well.
Arriyon and Jai’La also mention the fear that COVID will spread and infect other people. Since we cannot guarantee that no one will catch the virus and that everyone will be safe, certain staff members are afraid of catching it and possibly passing it on to someone with a compromised immune system. In my opinion, they hit all the concerns right on the nose. I personally won’t go back because I don’t want to become asymptomatic and spread the virus to my loved ones. This article explained probably how most were feeling and this fear that resides in them. I really liked this article and I think this article will definitely help administrative people realized that, maybe going back to school is not the best option for our health.
Sincerely,
Samarra Monrroy, Grade 11
Luna Morales • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:08 am
Dear Corydon Editor
In issue 7 on March 26th of 2021 an article named “Back to the Schoolyard With precautions” was written in March by Arriyon Byres. Arriyon did a great job trying to bring awareness and express his concerns about hybrid learning at Millikan in this article. The article explains how returning back to school can be nerve racking in light of the pandemic. Students have not been in school for over a year so it can be very challenging to adapt to the new rules in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Furthermore, it also elaborates on how this entire thing can have a drastic change on students’ mental health. I agree with all of these concerns however, I have an additional one. I’m curious to know the teachers perspective in all of this chaos and how they will teach using this specific type of system. Will teachers put more work on students, or less? Nobody including staff, students, and teachers at Millikan has experienced hybrid learning so there will most definitely be bumps in the road. Because of this I suggest that teachers give their learning plans to their students so they can feel more prepared and so that they can work around their schedule. Overall, this article was very interesting and helpful.
Sincerely,
Luna Morales, grade 11
Jason Davison • Apr 1, 2021 at 10:01 am
April 1, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. I really like this article because I like the idea of finally going back to school to go back to a semi-normal lifestyle again. I will be returning back to school at the end of the month and I am glad we are able to go back. I think that with all of the precautions the school will be taking the hybrid schedule will be a success. In the fourth paragraph you mentioned that some students will not abide with the precautions set by the school and I think we all know there will be those people that are going to do whatever they want and ruin the hybrid schedule for everyone else who is respecting the guidelines. Andy Lewis says that he is not threatened and most of the people on the campus will be threatened by the Covid-19. Which I agree with, but we still have to be safe and abide by the guidelines set so we don’t pass the virus to someone who will be affected by it and also so we can stay in school.
Sincerely,
Jason Davison, Grade 11
Emilee Renteria • Apr 1, 2021 at 1:22 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions.” In this article, Byers states the concerns and worries that come with returning back to campus from students and staff alike. Byer even includes real feedback from Millikan students in her informative/opinionative writing. I personally felt that doing so was an intelligent move due to the fact that that is the kind of data that will determine whether or not in-person school will continue to be available for the 2020-2021 academic school year. Not only that, but such data will also serve as an aid in helping undecided students make their final choice. Byer continues on with her writing, stating that online school has proven to be a much more feasible option for the majority of students because of its flexible schedule. I also agree with this statement. Speaking from personal experience, there has been an incredible abundance of free time available to students since the pandemic arose and online school began. This time has been a blessing for me as I have been able to learn many new things and benefit myself overall. Glad to know that others share the same stance as me on this situation. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Emilee Renteria, Grade 11
Joseph Daniele • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:52 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon editor
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) titled, “Back to the schoolyard with Precautions” by Arryion Byers, she tells of the unfortunate struggles of Millikan Students during the pandemic. Mainly stating the end of social events, and the rising mental health crises involving students, she explains that the at home routine has made a simple thing such as coming back an “unfavorable decision.” I really like for one how she acknowledged the rising cases of mental crises, how a lot of news and adults dismiss the elementary-highschool students that are suffering from things such as depression, anorexia, and much more. MBA Senior Daniela Durate admitted she will not stay six feet apart from her friends, and while that can cause concern I would have to agree. I have been safely seeing my friends for some time now, so I would not want to social distance either. However I am concerned that many faculty members will not know individual situations, with my brother as a freshman now I would hate to show him around campus and get yelled at for being too close. I know it’s for my safety but I see him everyday, so I think as long as masks are on there should be no issue.
Sincerely,
Joseph Daniele, Grade 11
Ifti H Barua • Mar 31, 2021 at 9:36 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 on March 26. 2021, Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions.” I absolutely praise Arriyon’s commentary and her overall message on this topic as she really collects all the ideas of teachers and student’s alike on their perspective on going back to in-person school. It’s definitely beneficial to students who are going to be going back in-person as well as the online students by providing information that you wouldn’t really hear. It also shows teachers how students maintain their schedule as well, one great example of this is stated by Senior Ramon Rivera “I will continue onloine learning due to having to develop a new schedule. I have found new ways to use my free time and I’ve made commitments to certain things that I cannot give up on.”, According to this statement it shows us a new view on things. Students mainly don’t appear to be avoiding school due to COVID, some students are sticking to online due to the shifts in time/schedules due to Covid-19. On top of all that, Students want to be back in school regularly with no restrictions which Arriyon Byers absolutely nails in this. It clearly shows how Myles Ware feels about the situation with remarks such as “I would forget that I had to stay six feet away.”, it states how we have to behave and some students may not remember that which gives us a key idea if it really is okay to let all these students back in. A very well written and extremely informative article with no bias, great job.
Sincerely,
Ifti Barua, Grade 11.
Jens Ree • Mar 31, 2021 at 5:32 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions” which talks about going back to in person school and people’s concerns with it. I think the writers did a very good job on voicing the concerns of teachers and students related to the COVID-19 virus and why some students aren’t even going back when it happens and are staying online. This article also brings up concerns I didn’t even consider related to going back such as people not staying six feet apart and the struggle between classes being taught to both people who are present and at home at the same time. I think that these will make the experience of going back to school much more stressful especially if someone ends up passing the virus to somebody else. Although the hybrid schedule is mentioned in this article I think it could better mention the safety measures being made at the school to help prevent virus spread a little better along with the hybrid schedule. They mention the idea of students not abiding by COVID guidelines in the article but never mentions ones that the school will use when we come back. Despite this I still think the article voices what it’s meant to well. I hope that with the amount of people who are going back can keep in mind that people want to be safe as shown in this article. I am glad that concerns are brought up so we know what we need to look out for in the future so hopefully we can all have a safe rest of the year. Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Jens Ree, Grade 11
Sam Sussman • Mar 31, 2021 at 3:06 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions,” as an opinion article. Thank you so much for writing this letter and giving us some details about when we go back to school. I’m very interested to see how much social distancing will play a big part in the hybrid learning and am interested in how much different it will be from normal. I really like how Andy Lewis described covid and what it is by saying that he’s not afraid of catching covid but he’s afraid of spreading it to other people. My question that I have for you is that did you get emails from those students and teachers that stated their opinions and said what they were going to do? Another question that I have is that on the second issue, since it seems like students are going to forget about staying six feet apart, is their going to be some kind of tactic that is going to be used if someone tests positive for covid? I kind of feel bad for the teachers and staff because I think it will be a tough job teaching zoom and in person simultaneously not everything will seem to go as planned. Besides that thank you so much for writing this article and I really appreciated that.
Sincerely,
Samuel Sussman grade 12
Victoria Escamilla • Mar 31, 2021 at 2:42 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5 ( March 6, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. I enjoyed reading this article because it expressed the way some students and even teachers really feel about this transition. I want to say I agree with what Myles Ware said about not social distancing with his friends unless someone reminded him. In all honesty, I get with my friends every sunday to check in and we don’t social distance nor wear masks. I guess it’s because we’re just comfortable around each other like that and there is no one to tell us “Hey you have to wear masks.” Also, I want to compliment you on talking about and explaining the ‘Hybrid System’. I don’t know how many parents read the Corydon but it probably helped some parents who were maybe confused about the schedule or how it would work. I love the way you got students and teachers to share what they think, so I would like to see more of that. More opinions and questions they may have because reading this article actually arose some questions in my head that I had never even thought of asking. Aside from the questions, concerns, and every terrible thing that has happened, personally I am happy to be able to get the chance to return and enjoy a small bit of my senior year at Millikan. Thank you for reading my letter and thank you for this article, it was great.
Sincerely,
Victoria Escamilla, Grade 12
Diana Rodriguez • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:47 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear corydon editor
In issue 7 on March 26 2021 Arriyon Byers wrote an article named “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. First off, I wanted to say thankyou for writing this, I think you did an amazing job in showing how others feel when the topic of returning to school. Also, thankyou for taking time out of your day to read my comment. I like how your article was easy to read and understand, it was worded well. I enjoyed reading what other people and a teacher thought about returning back to school. I think many of us can relate, we are now conformed to a certain schedule and it is hard to break, which is why many don’t want to return to school. This article mentioned that schools are a little worried about students not following COVID guidelines. For the most part I also think many people can agree that this is one of the biggest concerns when returning back to school. Many people will see each other after a long time of not seeing each other, and most of them share their affection by hugging, so as of now it’s still very uncertain to how things will work out.
Sincerely,
Diana Rodriguez, Grade 12
Abby Rodriguez • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:44 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Bryers wrote “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions”. In the article Arriyon wrote on how school will be for the students choosing to return after spring break, she also included the opinions of the student as well as staff members at Millikan. I would like to start off by saying thank you for writing this article. It is interesting to see the different points of view for the students who have chosen to return and the students who have decided to continue to do distance learning. The quote from Ramon Rivera Astorga says, “I will continue online learning due to having to develop a new schedule. I found new ways to use up my free time and I’ve made commitments to certain things that I cannot give up on.” Returning to school for many is not an option as during COVID many of us have picked up responsibilities such as: caring for siblings, part-time jobs, maintaining a consistent routine, etc. This quote is something that I can relate to because during distance learning I have been watching my sister who is also in school, but with school being hybrid our schedules do not align meaning that there could be days that I have in person and she does not. That was one of the factors of me continuing distance learning for the rest of the school year.
Some questions that I have is that during breaks like lunch and nutrition will things like the Library and computer lab be available for students. Other than that I would like to thank you again for writing on this topic, I enjoyed reading it.
Sincerely,
Abigail Rodriguez, Grade 12
Patrick Gallagher • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:39 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7(March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions”. I would like to thank you for writing this article because everything that you stated was very important information that I believe all students and staff should know about. This article talks about the returning to school of many students and how that is going to change the lives of many faculty members as well as the students. Personally I will not be returning to school because I have my own schedule that I have created for online school and I don’t want to have to change everything up for the remainder of the school year. Your article was filled with great information that I believe is applied to the life of every student in one way or another. It is going to be very difficult with students going back to school and trying to keep everyone following regulations at all times, because the students haven’t seen their companions in almost a year so for them to stay away from each other every day till June sounds almost like an impossible task. The pandemic has been really hard on a lot of students and teachers, with seniors not being able to have a true senior year of high school. As well as teachers having to adapt to new strategies of teaching because everything has to be done over the computer. Hopefully we can move on from this segment of our lives and continue with everything going back to normal.
Sincerely,
Patrick Gallagher, Grade 12
Kaitlyn Lentz • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:30 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7, (March 26, 2021) both Arriyon Byers and Jai’la Du Rousseau wrote the article titled “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions”. I enjoyed reading this piece as it gave many different sides when giving the topic of us returning to school. I agree with both sides as I am not concerned that I may get the virus, but people around me or my loved ones may get it. I also think that we hold the risk of many cases as said, many students may not follow every rule given. I thought it was a good idea to get quotes from both teachers, like Mr. Lewis and students who are choosing to stay home. I believe that Millikan will do its best in trying to help prevent the spread, but the vaccine will only become available to students ages 16 and above a few days before we are expected to return, so it may not be the absolute safest. However, I know that many students do miss being with friends and being in our regular routines, hopefully everyone can continue to distance and follow guidelines given. Also, I think our hybrid system is a more effective routine and can help keep students and staff safe. With only a few students coming back and with the groups assigned I do think we will do a better job than other districts at keeping everyone safe and as healthy as possible.
Sincerely,
Kaitlyn Lentz, Grade 12
faith jones • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:29 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back to the schoolyard with precautions”. I really like how Arriyon uses sources from teachers and students on how they feel about going back to school and what they plan on doing. The student that was interviewed gave many examples of why some people can not go back to school. For example, new responsibilities and other commitments to family and other places such as jobs and volunteer hours. Arriyon also uses other students’ emotions on how they feel about being around their friends during school and not being able to be social and how they normally are outside of school. “Data from hopkinsmedicine.org shows that individuals under the age of 18 are less likely to become infectiously ill from the COVID-19 virus.” This is new information to me because I thought everyone had the same chances of getting the covid-19 virus. I think if all individual’s work around kids or around others just in general. I bring this up because Arriyon talks about how MIllikan staff were not required to get the vaccine. I am wondering if that is still true, do millikan staff members have to get the vaccine to come back?
Sincerely,
Faith Jones, Grade 12
Jesus Rodelo • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:24 pm
In Issue Issue 7(March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “ Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. In this article the editors talk about how different lives are now that we are accustomed to online learning, and also the difficulty of keeping protocols when returning. I agree with Ramon when he says that he already set up a schedule with online school. After one year of online school, I am used to waking up late, and being comfortable at home during class and lunch time. It is something I like because I have more free time and it gives me opportunity to do more things. As of now, I did choose to go back, but I might go back because of how convenient it is.
Arriyon also states in her article that following safety protocols will be challenging for everyone at school. She quoted many students that said that they will forget to keep social distance. I also believe it is hard to keep social distancing throughout the day. When walking through the hallways or talking with friends, people will just break this distance. Many people chose to go back to school to see their friends again, so it will be hard to keep everyone distanced. I also agree with the editor, when she states that there is a risk we can give the virus to people outside of school grounds once we go home. Overall it is a risk and we can only see how it will be once we go back to school.
Maddy Smith • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:11 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7(March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article called “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions.” In this article, the authors bring up many valuable points and share opinions from fellow students as well as staff members at Millikan High School. I do agree that many students and teachers have developed a new schedule with being online and going back to in person could interfere with those commitments that have been made. They bring up concerns about students not following guidelines set in place by the district and state, which could be a danger to our health as well as others that we might contact outside of school. I appreciate the addition of data from hopkinsmedicine.org to give some comfort of knowing that students 18 and under have been less likely to be severely affected by the virus. This evidence could help students feel more comfortable with coming back to in person school and not be so worried about their health being altered in drastic ways. As brought up by Grant Robinson in the article, the challenge of teachers managing a class both in person and on Zoom simultaneously does concern me, since many teachers already have been struggling with technology throughout our online learning experience. I wonder how effectively they will be able to keep their attention on the students in the Zoom while they are trying to teach half the class in person. Overall, this was a very informative piece that included opinions from different perspectives which helps to understand the current concerns and misunderstandings that have been caused by the announcement of a soon return to campus.
Sincerely,
Maddy Smith, Grade 12
Bailey Peterson • Mar 31, 2021 at 12:08 pm
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. Thank you so much for writing this article and bringing light to the emotions students are feeling during this school year. It is so interesting to hear about the different points of views involved in choosing whether or not to return back to school. I personally think it is nice that the school is giving students a choice because it allows for older kids to look after their younger siblings or stick to the routine they’ve already established. It will definitely be an adjustment for those transitioning from online to hybrid. Similar to Myles Ware, I think it will be very difficult to remember to stay six feet apart and maintain social distance. Additionally, I think it will be hard for the staff to force students to stick to the guidelines, as it has been so long since many of them have seen their friends or peers.
I also find it a little bit scary that students could potentially spread this virus to older and more at-risk faculty when they return to campus. I would have to agree with Mr. Lewis that spreading COVID-19 is my biggest fear when it comes to hybrid learning. I am sure teachers are hesitant about beginning hybrid learning because it will make teaching online Zoom classes a bit more difficult. I couldn’t imagine having to multitask like that, so I am hoping that teaching two groups of students at once is manageable for them. Thank you again for publishing this article. It really addressed some of my concerns and made me feel good to know that I am not alone.
Sincerely,
Bailey Peterson, Grade 12
Johnny Santana • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:55 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (Published on March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions.” It’s nice how Arriyon actually took the time to write about this topic as it shows teachers and students’ thoughts on going back to in-person school. I myself am going to keep attending online classes, I can now see how it was helpful to see how others were feeling in this situation. However, I do say I have concerns with going back to school. The pandemic is still going on and how do we know the precautions we are taking will ultimately succeed. That seems like a great concern to me and to know how the students that are going back to school have to adapt to a new setting seems like a great task. If no one can follow the rules that are being told, what will become of that then? The school is going to be packed with people and the school seems to still not have it all figured out. At the same time, It does suck to stay online as we have been doing for this past year and how it all caused everyone some mental illness. Now I do hope that when in-person school does start, all staff try their hardest to keep Millikan a safe environment for all.
Sincerely,
Johnny Santana, Grade 11
Dylan Lemay-Fruchter • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:43 am
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byres wrote the article “Back to the Schoolyard With Precautions.” I think the author did a great job on this article, especially because they were able to get direct quotes from teachers and students. I thought it was very important for people going back to finish the year to see how the people who have gone back have felt about in person school this year. A lot is on the line for the people going back, so it is important to hear from the people that have experienced going back. I especially like the quotes from students who hadn’t gone back, but were considering it. This was a great way to get all the different points of views. Most students felt that they wanted to go back, but also wanted to stay safe above all else. Some students think it’s more important to go back than others, and others feel like we shouldn’t go back, and that safety should always be the main concern. Overall, I think this was a very well done article, and that it was very important.
Sincerely,
Dylan Lemay-Fruchter, Grade 12
Bryant Lopez • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:22 am
March 21, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 on (March 31, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “Back to the schoolyard with Precaution” which will talk about the cautions of going back to school. I like how Arriyon Byers told us about students and the teacher’s thoughts about going back to school and what to expect when going back to school. My concerns are that it won’t be the same experience we had last time which students won’t get to fully experience. Although people under the age of 18 are less likely to infectiously ill from COVID-19, teachers, staff have more risk of getting it. My other concern is that there will be some people that won’t want to be six feet away from their friends. Some students will forget about the social distance and carry it as a normal school day. My suggestions are that if students want to go to school, then they will have to follow the rules of social distancing and the safety protocols while in school. If they do not agree with following those rules, then they will be online learning. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article, and thank you for reading my comment.
Sincerely,
Bryant Lopez, grade 11
Mark Alvarez • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:16 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 on March 26, 2021, Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions,” as an opinion article. She did a great job addressing the potential risk of the students coming back to in-person learning near the end of the 2021 school year informing us to be wary of the teachers since not all of them are fully protected against the COVID virus. She stated that we all should practice safety protocols, but I am left to wonder if the minority of students who are able to get vaccinated would also have to follow these guidelines since they would have developed an immunity to the virus. This also opens up questions of how would we enforce these guidelines. Even with the severely reduced students that will be attending school how would the staff be able to monitor all the students to make sure they are practicing safe protocols. I also agree that bringing back activities at school should not be our top priority and that the safety of our students should be the number one priority since there are most likely a small group of students that are at high risk for COVID in contracting the disease may even be deadly for them. Overall I think Ms. Byrers did an excellent job covering most of the concerns within-person learning, but overall this topic has lots of information that could be covered with its many concerns.
Sincerely,
Mark, Alvarez
julia nunez • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:11 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions.” I would like to start off by saying that I enjoyed the article, it was very well written due to how it was very precise and gave an insight on how students and teachers are feeling. Also, I personally felt connected to the article when reading about how students have already adjusted their lives to the online learning schedule, so in person learning doesn’t seem so appealing. The representation on students’ thoughts for going back were very accurate and I feel that adding quotes from interviewed students was a very important factor in getting across our voice. However, I do wonder what school will be like for those who go back. Adding more of a description of what to expect for in person learning would contribute a great amount to the article. Another question I have is how are most teachers are feeling? I would like to know more about how teachers are handling going back to school in person and how they are preparing their classrooms. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and for enlightening me on the subject of returning to the classrooms. I now can feel comfort in knowing that I’m not the only one who doesn’t have interest in going back to school this year.
Sincerely,
Julia Nunez, Grade 11
Alexandra Funes • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:08 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7( March 26, 2021) by Arriyon Byers and Jai’La Du Rousseau wrote an article titled “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. I appreciate the time you took and wrote this and how it provides things about the teachers and students. But a concern is that 2020-2021 Millikan High School and around the world thought the school year was just going to be a normal school year, the pandemic was the one to hold us back and go into this major outbreak. I agree with you because regardless of what happened the students and teachers made a new way of living this way and doing online school. It is hard on students, teachers and staff on the new ways of learning and having to be 6 feet away from one another. Life like this has been difficult to cope with and having to work around this schedule.
The second issue is hard on everyone because of what we have to do, things are not the same. Going back to school is that we have to have all these safety procedures. It’s hard to go to school in person and us as students forgetting that we have to stay 6 feet away from our friends. In this article I totally understand how “we will continue online learning due to having a developed new schedule” and how returning to schools is not an option because of how bad this pandemic is going. I read in the article that they said “ being 18 is less likely to contract COVID-19” but it doesn’t mean that we can’t get the virus. If we do get that option to go back to school, I hope that everyone that attends to going back is ready and is very careful. Thank you once again for writing this article.
Sincerely,
Alexandra Funes, Grade 12
alexandra • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:09 am
Grade 11
Daniel Zelig • Mar 31, 2021 at 10:05 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions“. I loved how your article tried to show the reality of the situation concerning students returning to schools and how the students would act. You offered reasons as to why schools would want to put students back in schools such as mental health and leisure activities but then countered those same points by addressing the gravity of the situation and how dangerous it would be. You then stated that the best possible solution would be to continue with distance learning. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement but the students who are struggling in the current environment need a better solution. Some people like QUEST senior Ramon Rivera Astorga are definitely flourishing at this time and to change what they have adapted to would negatively impact them but others who can’t learn as well due to the circumstances need to offered another course of action. In my opinion, the best possible solution would be to allow students who have been tested to be able to go back to school while providing mandatory tests. This way the risks of going to school would significantly decrease and the option to go or not is still on the table. What do you think of this solution?
Sincerely,
Daniel Zelig, Grade 11
Itzel Gomez • Mar 31, 2021 at 9:15 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021), Arriyon Byers wrote an article titled “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions”. In the article Miss Byers explains how schools in Long Beach are finally opening up. Ever since this information broke out many students have been excited at the thought of things being able to go back to “normal”. However, schools opening up during this time does not guarantee the same experience as before. The pandemic is still going on and being able to keep to the rules of precaution will seem to pose a problem for many. That seems like a great concern to me and what the future holds for the students returning. If no one can maintain 6 feet apart what will school officials do? Will there be warnings or penalties for students who do not follow the guidelines? Now just because statistics have shown people under the age of 18 being less likely to contract COVID-19 does not mean that it isn’t possible. The thought of some staff members and students not being vaccinated poses another concern. The school is going to be packed with people and the school seems to still not have it all figured out. It is a big risk and I do not agree with the decision of opening schools up but, in order for life to continue we must go through trial and errors. I hope that while school goes back into session, staff is prepared and has a plan for any possibility.
Sincerely,
Itzel Gomez, Grade 12
Emma Gastelum • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:53 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard with Precautions”. Thank you for writing this article I myself find all of the information listed and opinions listed to be very helpful. I myself also agree with this opinionated article because I agree with the concern of relying on so many different people having to follow rules. It’s uncertain what the outcome will be. I agree with you about returning and how due to the current situation of not just our country but our state, it’s not the safest choice. I have to add that I am very concerned for the teachers. My mom works at Millikan and is supposed to be returning back to in-person to teach her students but, she also shares this concern. If students and other teachers aren’t fully vaccinated the inevitable is going to happen. I know it’s a choice to get vaccinated but it just seems unsafe how the students who would get the vaccine aren’t being given links by the school or the district for appointments. Looking at the comments that other students and teachers said is very eye-opening since you don’t get to know how others from your school actually feel. Knowing that I can relate to some students who feel more comfortable staying home and have already developed a schedule makes me feel a little better about wanting to stay home. I would have to suggest that students would have to be watched during lunch by staff members so that they can be reminded to maintain at least 6 feet since they would be maskless while eating. This may be a solution to the problem that many of us see happening. I would love to hear more from other students and teachers about how they feel about this drastic change that is just around the corner.
Sincerily,
Emma Gastelum
Connor Reece • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:51 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions”. I enjoyed reading this article and getting to see what other people are saying about this new hybrid schedule we are going into. I liked hearing from students and teachers but I’d also like to hear from a teacher that may be more at risk that is still going back to school to teach. They can be risking their lives and I would love to see what they would have to say about this whole situation. I definitely agreed with Ramon Rivera when he was talking about having a new schedule surrounding this online school. I think that’s the situation with most kids. Being able to sleep more than you would if you had to go to school. Getting longer breaks because you don’t have to rush to your next class by the time the bell rings. Staying online with little to no social interaction with the people we had interacted with for the past three years can pose some mental illness. The writer talks about this mental illness problem briefly. I would like to know more about the mental health of the staff how has this whole thing been treating them. I know some students can form a mental illness because it just feels like every day is repeated over and over and it can be damaging and sad for students. Overall I enjoyed this article thank you for writing it and reading my comment.
Sincerely,
Connor Reece, Grade 12
Ivy Kealoha • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:37 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Cordyen Editor,
In issue 7 on March 3, 2021, Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “ Back to the schoolyard with Precaution” which talks about the worries of students going back. I like how the Arriyon Byers showed the more uncommon perspective of not going to and why they are doing it. It shows how hard this all is going to be since there is so much pressure on this decision. I have been having the same worry about going back to school what’s going to happen at lunch with my friends. If you and your friend take covid on a different level of serious they could put their friendship in a weird place. You should take about the physical and mental changes that are going to happen, like if your in-person you can force more because there are a fewer distraction. Another thing that is going to change is sports and timing the practice may be pushed back where they don’t have any time left over for a social life after doing school all day and homework. I like how you talk about other reasons that might be withholding students from going to school. I have thought about getting a job while staying home due to the free time on my hands so that could be a big issue for students.
Sincerely
Ivy Kealoha, grade 12
Katelyn Smith • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:27 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Editor,
In Issue 7 on March 26, 2021, Arriyon Byers wrote an article called “Back to the Schoolyard with Precautions.” I really appreciate Arriyon’s remarks on this topic as it provides remarks from teachers and students about their thoughts on going back to in person school. As someone who chose to go back to finish their senior year, I thought it was helpful to see how others were feeling in this situation. For example, the quote from Mr. Lewis about how he feels that his students, himself, and most of the staff will be safe but is concerned about passing it to others who are more susceptible is important to note. Although those going back will be ok, we can’t guarantee not spreading it to others outside of campus like elderly family members. As Arriyon said, it would be hard to not spread this virus especially since some people who get infected are asymptomatic so they don’t realize that they even have covid.
Additionally, I really liked how Arriyon discussed the opinions of other students who were considering going back. The quote from Myles Ware says, “If I were at school I would try to hang out with my friends, and unless I were instructed not to do so, I would probably forget that I had to stay six feet away.” This quote is very relatable as many people want to enjoy going to school with their friends for the first time in over a year. But because of that, it’s easy to forget that we still have to practice being safe above all else. When we are to go back we must follow the 6ft social distancing mandate as the article and California law states. The only thing I’d suggest adding to this article is how breaks in school are to be set up like lunch and nutrition. I think there’s a lot of things we still don’t know about going back and it’d be really helpful to know what we are doing during these breaks. Overall a very well written and informative article, good job!
Sincerely,
Kate Smith, grade 12
Taylor Ochoa • Mar 31, 2021 at 8:22 am
March 31, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 7 (March 26, 2021) Arriyon Byers wrote the article “Back To The Schoolyard With Precautions,” as an opinion article. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my letter. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article not for the subject matter since it is quite a saddening topic but because it was very well worded and extremely concise. A concern that I have is how you got the statements from teachers, students and staff. I assume that you probably emailed most of these individuals for their statements, except for Mr. Lewis, who you might have been able to interview in person since I know that he is teaching at school. Something that I would like to see more of is an article regarding the mental health of teachers. I know that students aren’t doing too well since I hear it from friends and classmates, but for teachers I just feel really bad for them trying to do the best they can teaching in this current situation. I would be very interested to learn about our teachers’ mental health. Thank you for another great article and I hope you have a good day and stay safe whether you are doing hybrid or staying online.
Sincerely,
Taylor Ochoa, Grade 12