Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
12:04 am, Tuesday, March 18, 2025
temperature icon 40°F
Humidity 79 %
Wind Gust: 13 mph

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER



Radio Musikola


Letter to the Editor: Hybrid learning should remain at HHS

by | Mar 26, 2021 |

The State of Massachusetts has mandated discontinuing the hybrid schooling model, allowing only fully in-person or remote for the rest of this school year. As a Hopkinton High School (HHS) senior, I oppose this because it prohibits school systems from deciding what’s best for them. At HHS, full-time, in-person schooling will not meet safety standards for students or teachers. The overwhelming majority of students and teachers I’ve talked with agree.

The state mandate does not consider the COVID infection rate. The CDC guideline on reopening school is fewer than 50 new COVID cases per 100,000 people in a week (0.05%). In Hopkinton schools, of about 4,330 staff and students, there were 22 new COVID cases between March 10-17 (0.5%), an infection rate 10 times greater than the CDC guideline.

At HHS, with more students present every day, there will only be 4 feet between desks compared to 6 feet with hybrid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises at least 6 feet apart to prevent the spread of COVID. When switching classes, the hallways and staircases will be packed, with people routinely bumping each other. This year, one staircase is closed, crowding even more people into the other two.

Since September, most Hopkinton students have done hybrid, became comfortable with it, and even see advantages, such as working more independently. Hybrid will end at HHS on April 26. The last day of school is June 18, and May 26 for seniors. It will be difficult to adopt new routines with less than two months remaining. The school must change seating arrangements, curriculums and schedules in a short time frame, adding stress and taking time away from educating students.

A student can switch from hybrid to fully remote, but not all classes would be available. These students will have to change classes with only one to two months left of school and will lose the social interaction they had with hybrid.

The state’s mandate does not take into account what works best for the students, in my view. All schools are not the same and should not be subject to identical reopening mandates. At HHS, the benefits of fully in-person learning are outweighed by the safety and educational risks. Massachusetts should allow schools to make the best decisions for their own districts, and Hopkinton should continue hybrid to make safety and education paramount.

— Kamala Chuss, Hopkinton

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.

HopIND-Test-Web-Ad

0 Comments

Related Articles

Letter to the Editor: Young citizen leads way

I attended a town hall hosted by Rep. Jim McGovern in Holliston on Saturday (March 8). Rep. McGovern spent almost three hours answering questions from about 40 people, among them a Hopkinton mother who has already lost critical medical support for her child with a...

Letter to the Editor: Center Trail dog etiquette

FAQs for Center Trail dog walkers: Question: Do I have to clean up my dog’s poop? Answer: Yes. Poop bags are free of charge in dispensers at the trailheads on Main Street, Loop Road and Chamberlain Street. Question: Doesn’t the town pick up dog poop? Answer: No,...

Letter to the Editor: Snow clearing appreciated

I would like to give a big shout-out to our Highway Department for keeping our sidewalks cleared so quickly and thoroughly after every storm. Many of my friends travel to Florida every winter instead of being stuck inside. I am able to walk safely every day during...

Letter to the Editor: Schools’ inclusivity admirable

In December, a letter to the editor was published that questioned some of the actions of Dr. Carol Cavanaugh, superintendent of schools. As a former administrator at Elmwood School, a parent in town and now principal in a nearby town, I feel compelled to respond,...

Letter to the Editor: Resident opposes STM Article 8

I urge the taxpayers of Hopkinton to vote no on Article 8 until a strategic plan is offered that is realistic for the townspeople of Hopkinton, agreed upon by the Planning Board, that then can be brought to the state. The first plan was voted down at Town Meeting...

Key Storage 4.14.22