Alec Blumberg is a high school freshman and his
sister, Amelia, a high school senior in Great Neck,
New York. Their school, for now, decided on full
time, at-home learning to start in September
with a possible staggered approach in person
later on, allowing half the students in at a time.
“I really want to go back. It would be nice to
interact with people and have a more separate
life at school and home,” Alec said. “But if the
school lays out a plan, will the kids follow it? I’m
really not sure.”
Amelia, 17, said exactly how responsible
students will be is what worries her the most,
based on what she’s seen among peers.
“Some people aren’t as careful as others,” she
said. “They aren’t following any type of safety
measures, which really scares me. But I really
want to go back. It’s the last year. We didn’t even
get to say goodbye to any of our teachers when
we left last year.”
School for Indianapolis, Indiana, seventh-grader
Maria Beck started July 30. The 12-year-old is
attending online full time. At first, her school
district was going to offer some in-person
instruction, then changed its mind. There’s been
a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in her area.
“I’m a big extrovert,” Maria said of missing face-
to-face school. “But so far, it’s been going very
well. I do hope we get to go back some day.”
Her third-grade sister, 8-year-old Felicity, said
she, too, is OK with distance learning. Among the
things she misses most about real school? Lunch.
“I’d be scared that I’d get sick,” she said of
returning to school, “but I’d be really happy that
I’d be able to go back.”