As Greeley West finishes its third week of in-person learning, the question of how long it will last is a big one. Many students and teachers, already overwhelmed with the quarter system, have found in-person learning bittersweet.

“I am very frustrated because it is next to impossible to give students extra help. Being a math teacher, that is super important,” said Ms. Jane Burke, a math teacher at Greeley West. 

The workload put on students this school year has been astronomical, making learning for students very challenging. Students are taking a semester of class and squeezing it into eight weeks. 

Besides the workload put on students, some find their health more critical.  “I feel like West is doing the best that they can to keep COVID under control,” senior Jasmine Johnson said. 

With COVID protocols in place, Johnson believed there was just one thing students needed more access to:  “I think that we could have more hand sanitizer stations,” Johnson added. 

Although West’s student population has been reduced to half for each in-person day, hallways and sidewalks still seem very crowded during passing periods. So how long will this last?

Burke is hopeful that things return to normal sooner than later.  “I am praying that next semester will be back to semi-normal status but it is going to be a hard flu season. I am very grateful to see my students in person!  I missed them so much this past spring,” said Burke. 

Students also hope West won’t close, but some see the reality of the situation, especially with two more District 6 elementary schools shutting down and going virtual this week.  Greeley Central and Northridge High Schools have also already seen cohorts be sent home for two weeks of online learning as well.

Johnson thinks her senior year – like that of the Class of 2020 – will be adjusting to a new reality soon enough.  “With cases increasing everyday, we will transition into full online learning soon,” Johnson opined.