Many students in San Diego County will be heading back to school in the next few weeks for in-person instruction, whether hybrid or full-time.
On Monday, students in the Carlsbad Unified School District returned to five full days of weekly instruction with their teachers.
“I would say being back was better than being o-line,” Carlsbad High School student Jill Cohen told NBC 7. “It has created more of, like, a community again, which we've been missing.”
Student Joshua Draher said it is good to be back in the classroom, too.
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“It’s more motivating to be here with the teacher and being around your friends,” Draher said, adding that getting to play football again has made a big difference. “We're just happy to be back. We've been fighting for this for a long time.”
Getting to this point has not been easy.
“It feels like life is getting back,” said student Ellie Graber, but she and other students said they wished they did not have to give up their Wednesdays, which are now instruction days.
“We used those Wednesdays as mental health days," student Randel Korgan said. "We did our homework."
Graber echoed that disappointment, saying students feel unheard.
“I chose to go in-person because I learn better in person," Graber said. "However, I wish they would have listened to us on Wednesdays.”
While there is frustration about the loss of Wednesday at home, there is a sense overall of gratitude. ‘
It was pretty good, pretty fun to see my teachers and friends," student Anna Mays said, “just not normal.”
