Concerns About Fully In-Person School – Student Opinions

By Shravya Sathi

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

How do you feel about going back to AHS in person five days a week? Explain.

As younger students have begun going back to school four days a week, many AHS students have started talking about whether or not they are comfortable with the idea of going back to full in-person or not. In a recent poll on Instagram of 123 AHS students, 74 (60 percent) decided they would not opt in for full in-person school if they were given the choice, while 49 (40 percent) said they would. 

“I am for full in-person because I learn a lot better when I am at school and in a classroom rather than at home. When we are remote I tend to use my phone, not pay attention, and fall behind on school work. I also like being able to see my friends and teachers at school because I have a better mindset then I generally do at home, where it is harder to be productive.”

– Saima Rahman

“I don’t believe we should go back to school full in-person. Already with the hybrid model, students walk far too close to one another in the hallways and don’t maintain social distancing. Going back to school full-time will inevitably lead to a surge in cases and it should be our responsibility as a community to try our best to limit the spread of COVID-19. Plus, finding a safe lunch plan will be difficult, and the traffic after school will be a nightmare. The hybrid model works fine so I don’t see any reason why a full in-person model would be beneficial. We all have to make short term sacrifices to ensure the long-term safety of our community.”

– Owen Chen

“I’m for in-person learning. Since it’s easier to communicate with teachers and receive help on homework assignments or quizzes. It’s much easier to interact with other students when we have projects and participating in class is much easier. It also allows me to see a few of my friends in a safe controlled environment.”

– Hanna Saad

“I am for it because we cannot trade out mental health.”

– Caroline Pritchard

“I’m against full in person because I don’t think we are ready for it, and it’s still really dangerous to even go in when the cases are still really bad. It’s only going to get worse when there are more people in the school, and it’s going to be harder to keep track if everyone is following the COVID-19 guidelines. I think that we should wait until it’s safer, especially when we are able to do remote learning.”

– Riley Caruso

“I don’t prefer in-person as the pandemic has still not decreased significantly. Students now have adapted more to the hybrid schedule at our school and also learning from home keeps students and teachers safe from greater spread of the coronavirus. The school has shut down two times due to the virus being spread around school and it will most likely occur again after February break. In terms of safety, I prefer to learn from home.”

– Harini Sibi

“I am for full in person for a better learning experience and being with people I normally wouldn’t be able to see. I think that the current thing we got in place is doing a pretty good job at preventing the spread of COVID.”

– Brandon Zhao
STAFF PHOTO/ Erin Li
A view of the crowded hallways as Cohort A students in walk to and from class. The lack
of space in the school is a large concern to many students and parents when considering
returning to fully in-person school.
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    Andoverview

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    AHS Class of 2026 Graduation: A Sentiment of Gratitude
    • June 11, 2026

    Abby Chachus & Kendall Murphy || STAFF WRITERS

    A hush falls as a sea of navy gowns, a rising tide of Andover High School graduates enters the Tsongas Center just before 5 o’clock on June 1, 2026. There is something distinct about moments like these. A goodbye that is bittersweet among both the audience and the seniors. 

    According to Graduation Committee member Ella Murphy, it is a goodbye to “Halloween costume competitions that never disappoint, lunches, wrap lines and vending machine trips,” seemingly inconsequential things, but the memories will stick with all of the students as they move on to their future endeavors.  

    The graduation speakers shared the value of these moments and their gratitude for the people that helped them along the way. As the ceremony commenced, the opening speakers Zachery Pan and Murphy welcomed everyone and encouraged them to acknowledge their shared experiences at Andover High School. “These moments, these memories, these faces. None of us got here alone.” said Pan.

    Their speech gave time to deliver some truly meaningful thank you’s, “beyond the formalities” as Murphy put it, to the teachers and staff that showed up each day with “patience, support, and dedication.” Furthermore, they recognized that this gratitude is not solely meant for the significant ceremonies. 

    “Gratitude is kind of strange. We tend to save it for the big moments. The ceremonies, the stages, the audiences,” said Murphy. 

    “But let’s be honest—the people who actually changed your life probably weren’t standing on a stage when they did it,” continued Pan.

    They concluded the speech with a request to the graduates to thank those who changed their lives in both the big and small moments, even if it feels unnecessary.

    Before graduation, other seniors expressed similar thoughts, like reflecting on the journey that got them to where they are today. 

    “To all my teachers: thank you for everything. I would not be here without any single one of you.” said Christopher Reardon.

    Thomas Enman advised underclassmen to “just enjoy every little minute you get at AHS.”

    Vignesha Jayakumar, class essayist and valedictorian, echoed this same sentiment of appreciation, reinforcing Reardon’s message about the lasting impact of teachers and support systems. “We were galvanized from a community of supportive teachers and staff who didn’t just teach us subjects, they taught us how to think, how to question, how to care,” said Jayakumar.

    He also mentioned the importance of one learning from their fellow graduates. “We learned as much from each other in the hallways and the bleachers as we did in the classroom,” he said. 

    After Jayakumar, Graduation Committee members Ben Pelt and Kari Belson spoke. First, Pelt announced the Class of 2026’s class gift to AHS. Next, Belson named Scott Armstrong the 2026 Distinguished Citizen (see page 4).

    When Principal Jimmy D’Andrea took the stage, he, like all the other speakers, expressed the value of gratitude, a central theme that resonated throughout the ceremony. He began by thanking each group that got each member of the graduating class to where they were standing in the Tsongas Center, about to leave the comfort of being an AHS student and moving onto becoming alumni, highlighting the strong support system and sense of community that defined the graduating class’s journey.

    He also encouraged each graduate to “personally reach out and thank those individuals who made a difference in [their] lives,” reinforcing the ceremony’s message of appreciation, reflection, and recognition for the people who helped shape their high school experience.

    Interim Superintendent Keith Taverna encouraged graduates to continue to make the community proud with the positive impact they will bring to the world.

    To conclude the ceremony, Graduation Committee members Chloe Ahn and Margaret Farabaugh brought everyone together one last time. “Tonight we stand together because of the strong and spirited community we have built,” said Ahn.

    Ahn concluded, “As we become graduates of Andover High School, we step into the world with purpose, passion, and pride… Congratulations class of 2026!”

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    Students, Faculty Travel to Scandinavia Over Spring Break
    • June 11, 2026

    Samin Faiz || STAFF WRITER

    Forty-two Andover High School students and seven chaperones visited Scandinavia this April.

    After a six-hour flight from Boston to Reykjavík, Iceland, followed by a two-hour flight to Oslo, Norway, the group began their ten-day-long tour the Thursday before spring break. Through a combination of bus rides, overnight ferries, and countless miles on foot, the group made their way through five Northern European countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

    “I’ve been traveling with students since 2005, so this might be my 17th tour,” said Brian Shea, English teacher, organizer, and chaperone of the trip. “We’ve now done all of Europe, so Northern Europe was sort of our last frontier.”

    Apart from the chaperones, the group was accompanied by a tour director named Yulia, whom Shea worked closely with to structure the daily itinerary and ensure a smooth trip.

    In Scandinavia, English is widely spoken, so the language barrier was never a problem for the group. Sometimes, however, the students made connections in ways that transcend the spoken word.

    “I played soccer with a bunch of people in Sweden,” recalled Hannah Arnold, a junior who participated in the trip. “That was probably the highlight of the trip for me.”

    Arnold is no stranger to international travel. Just two months earlier, in fact, she joined her classmates on another school trip to Peru over winter break. However, for her twin sister, Grace Arnold, this was a brand-new experience.

    “I met a lot of new people that I’ve never met before, especially people not in my grade,” Grace said. “It was really nice because I met a lot of great people through that and got to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually get to spend time with.”

    The trip offered a flexible balance of group tours and independent exploration. “We had a lot of free time,” Grace noted. “We got to explore cities on our own and shop where we wanted. As long as you stayed in groups of three or more, you were free to roam the city.”

    Students observed the region’s distinct economic models. Through agreements within the European Union and the Nordic Council, higher education is heavily subsidized or entirely free for regional citizens.

    “It’s really interesting. They tax wealthier people a lot more and their overall tax rates are a lot higher,” one student observed. “The way they reinvest money back into infrastructure contributes to stronger public infrastructure. Education and health care are free, and they even offer stipends to cover the cost of living. Essentially, you pay a lot of taxes, but you get a lot in return.”

    Students also noticed the societal impact of these safety nets. “Their unhoused population is significantly lower. If you want help, those systems are available to support you.”

    The travelers’ curiosity and maturity left a strong impression on the faculty.

    “These kids were wonderful,” said Shea. “All of the students were engaged. They were paying attention. They were enjoying it. They were wonderful travelers. To me, that was the biggest thrill.”

    With the preparations for next year’s destinations already underway, the future of travel programs at AHS seems to be brimming with opportunities.

    “Next year, we have two tours,” said Shea. “We’re running one tour to Barcelona and Madrid in February, and then we’re running another tour to Greece in April.”

    Such opportunities are often highly selective at other schools, but luckily, these trips remain open to the entire student body at AHS.

    “There’s no application process,” Shea emphasized. “We’re not looking at grades. We’re not looking at behavioral records. Anybody can sign up when we offer these tours. I put them out there, and I’m like, ‘If you want to go, come.’”

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