Governor DeSantis announced that students can continue with online learning, making some happier than others.

“I feel that the governor’s announcement was fair by still giving the students the option to stay online unless they are not making adequate progress, but since corona is actually getting a lot worse, I’m not so sure if keeping it open was the best choice,” sophomore Kalim Qazi said.

While some found excitement and shock in the news, others still have an internal struggle with it.

As a parent, I understand the desire to protect your children, but as a teacher, I am watching my students fall farther and farther behind with online learning,” biology and AP Environmental Science teacher Amy Lawson said.

Most teachers see that some students struggle with online school, but also understand why many won’t come back in the second semester. A few students have gone back because they had difficulties with online school.

I do still plan on being an in-person student,” sophomore Alexis Bennett said. “When I was online, I really struggled with my academics and time management. Now that I’ve come back to school, my grades have improved drastically, and I find myself being less stressed out.”

Managing time with online school is very important, and can make some feel stressed out if they struggle with it. Others feel that they have more time and flexibility with virtual learning.

“I also chose [online school] because I genuinely enjoy [it] more because of its flexibility, the fact that I’m home, and the fact that it makes it much easier for me to get lots of work done in bulk, giving me more free time later on,” Qazi said.

With several students feeling as though they have more time, the governor’s announcement has made them happy, though time management and flexibility isn’t the only reason for some to want to stay at home.

“I am very happy about the governor’s announcement,” junior Vivian Carmody said. “My mother is high-risk, so the opportunity to stay home rather than go to school is very important to me.”

Many still have to think about who is at risk if they do return to school, so having an option is a pleasure. While the split between in-person and virtual students will remain, some feel as though that has helped them connect more with their friends.

“The split has not affected me a whole lot in regards to social interaction,” Qazi said. “While I miss actually being there with my friends a ton, I find that I almost talk to them more during virtual because of the flexibility that online learning provides. It has also given me a lot more time to spend time with my family, which is never a bad thing.”

Not only has online provided more time to talk to friends, but it has also allowed students to spend more time with their family. Many have been able to connect with their friends through social media, while others can even get together. 

“My friends, who are also online, meet up with me and we do work together, socially distanced of course, or we FaceTime,” Carmody said. “While I have been avoiding parties, I still attend small, socially distanced get-togethers.”

While some students will remain online for the second semester, they will still get the chance to talk to friends and possibly hang out with them.

The governor’s announcement was slightly shocking at first,” Bennett said. “I was, like most people, under the impression that students would be returning to school or going to actual online school. I think that it was a really smart decision because the numbers are rising.”