TOWAMENCIN- November 9th. The day that North Penn High School is opening up its doors to students. Some are weary of the possible outcomes the exposure encompasses, while others couldn’t be happier to return.

The Coronavirus has provoked many mixed emotions throughout the student population at North Penn. Many students are hesitant to return back to school grounds, while other students are looking at it with a different perspective– getting back to normality in a sense. The School Board has approved the district reopening plan scheduled to get underway in late October, however, the timeline the Board has established is subject to change at any time, depending on the conditions in our buildings and in our community.

Senior Claire Owsiany voices her position on the matter, a student who is planning on going back to school and taking full advantage of the hybrid opportunity North Penn is providing for its students.

“I definitely think I learn better in school, sitting at a desk with my peers, so I’d much rather be physically in the building,” Owsiany said.

Owsiany is fully aware of the precautions she must take to ensure the safety and well being of her classmates and teachers. She is more than willing to sacrifice a few North Penn rituals for the sake of her well being. She feels significantly more productive and engaged in the social environment that North Penn provides. Understanding the mandated mask order, and limitations she has socially, she would still much rather take the risk and return to a somewhat normal lifestyle.

“It will certainly be a different experience just because it has already impacted my senior year in so many ways, but I’m willing to give it a shot,” Owsiany said.

For Owsiany, she feels as though virtual school is really taking a toll on her body, constantly sitting in the same spot for a select period of time and gazing into a screen. Just being able to escape this recurring schedule for a couple of days a cycle will be a treat.

“I feel like I’m quarantined all over again, just this time with loads of work to do, it will be nice to get out of the house and into a new environment,” Owsiany said.

Junior Aislyn LaBadie chose to forgo the hybrid option and will continue taking her classes 100% online, even though the majority of students are probably going to select the hybrid scenario.

“I definitely miss seeing my friends and being in school, but being online has its perks,” LaBadie said.

LaBadie’s high school experience has been a unique one, to say the least. Starting out her Sophomore year in regular classes, as most of us did, she balanced her school schedule with her gymnastics schedule to the best of her ability, being the level ten gymnast she was. However, due to the angst COVID has given rise to, she decided to go 100% virtual during the lockdown, taking the majority of her classes through North Penn’s Edgenuity program.

“My classes have been going well so far, I can take all of my classes at my own pace which is nice,” LaBadie said.

Edgenuity has allowed her to focus more on her gymnastics than ever before, as she is weeks ahead in all of her schoolwork. Yearning to have the social aspect that she has not been able to utilize, LaBadie is planning on returning back to North Penn’s in-person learning for her senior year.

With the doors to the school opening, there are a lot of adjustments to be made in order to make North Penn a suitable environment for its students to safely learn. When deciding whether or not to take up North Penn’s hybrid option, the choice is yours.