This year at Stroudsburg High School is very different for students than it has been in years past. At the beginning of the year, students and parents had to make a tough decision on whether or not they wanted to send their children to school. 

The school board came up with three different types of learning methods that parents and students could choose from: hybrid, remote, and cyber.

The hybrid model allows students to come to school for two days of the week. The students are split in half by last names A-K and L-Z. Students with the last name A-K attend school on Monday and Tuesday, while last names L-Z are online.

Wednesday is an asynchronous day of learning for all students. It allows for a deep clean of the building. On Thursday and Friday, students with the last name L-Z return, while last names A-K are at home online. 

 “I really think the hybrid model is working,” said SHS principal Mr. Jeffery Sodl. “We have taken numerous safety precautions such as one-way hallways and stairways, separating the desks in the classroom, and even taking temperatures of students before entering the building.”

Students who have chosen the hybrid model tend to feel safe when they come to school, and are glad that they have the opportunity to be back in the actual classroom. 

“I feel everyone is following the rules so that we can stay in school, and not have to go full remote,” said senior Nicole Bellesfield, a hybrid student.

Students and parents also had the choice for their children to be full remote. This allows students to stay at home and complete all of their learning on the computer. Students follow a normal school schedule and join their classes via Zoom meetings or Google Meets. 

“I like wearing what I want while it is still appropriate for school, like hoodies or sweatpants on a no dress down day,” said senior Damon Petersen, a full remote student.

The third method of learning parents and students could have chosen is the Stroudsburg Area Cyber Academy, where students learn online through cyber teachers. 

“It’s a tough call but I’d say I like cyber more than actually school given the situation, but I don’t mind not having to wake up at 6:30 every day,” said senior John-Michael Weeks. “I miss my friends and actually interacting with people the most. Just just sitting at a computer can get extremely dull and tedious.”