PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland's Central Catholic High School has been open under a limited hybrid learning system for the last two weeks. That means each student is only on campus for two days in a row, every other week.
KGW talked with some Central Catholic students who said it's strange to be back, but that they're glad to see a little bit of normalcy when it comes to school.
Freshman Delainey Williams finally got the chance to walk the halls of her high school.
“It's really nice to see the people that I have been seeing on Zoom for the past five months," she said. "It's really nice to see them in person."
Like Delainey, freshman Mallory Robertson said she is glad to be in the classroom at least part of the time.
“It's like another sense of normalcy, but I also think it's way easier to focus," she said. "My mom works from home, my brother is doing school from home and we're all in one house."
For right now, the students are only there for those two days every other week, and the rest of the time is online learning. There are about 170 students on campus a day.
Principal Danyelle Ramsey said she can already tell a difference with students.
“There's a different level of connection and connectivity that happens between teacher and student when things are face to face," she said. "Students can get an answer in 30 seconds instead of an email back and forth.”
Students say they hope this routine can stay in place for a while.
For her part, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has repeatedly said she’s concerned about the mental health of students in the state and wants them back in class as soon as possible. It’s why teachers are ahead of senior citizens in line for vaccines.