(Pixabay)

COVID-19 has forced us to make mask-wearing, constant sanitizing, and limiting our social interactions part of our routine. It is dangerously easy for us to fixate on how our lives and school experience have become limited since the onset of Coronavirus, yet after a few weeks of hybrid-learning benefits can be found in unexpected places. 

Learning from home gives many teenagers some well-wished for takeaways: more time to sleep in on remote-learning days. More sleep improves memory, mood, and overall learning ability. During this straining times, rest is an asset that we can fully appreciate as school picks up from home. The general decrease in daily commute times among our student body is also better for the environment. Fewer students need to travel via car or bus to complete their school day, contributing to a decrease in carbon emissions from our Columbus Academy community. 

Virtual learning lets students have complete control over our afternoon meals. Plus, we have more freedom during the school day, as students can work on whatever they please during free periods, such as spending time outside, grabbing a bite to eat with a family member, or completing a long-term project. Such flexibility has its advantages.

In addtion to positively affecting a student’s mental health, more pragmatic upsides to the model are also benefits. Since fewer students walk the halls each day, they have lower risks of exposure and subsequent mandatory quarantines. Although it may seem as if we are missing out on our everyday school experience, it is crucial to realize that the more time we spend in school, the chances that we will be asked to quarantine increases.

Under the hybrid model, we now all share a common struggle, bringing us together in more ways than we could have ever imagined. COVID-19 has proven to be a learning experience for everyone in our Academy community for students, faculty, and families alike. Our administrators decided how to interpret this crisis, and every member of this school is responsible for keeping it safe as we dedicate ourselves to our collective health and security. While it is easy to place a spotlight on the adverse effects of COVID-19, the virus has taught us that if we come together as a community, we are stronger than we think.