Allyson Chan
COVID-19 cases are expected to surge during winter, when variants become increasingly adaptive and people’s immune systems become more susceptible to illnesses. Along with COVID, the annual flu and cold seasons leads to more occurrences of students falling sick. Prior to the pandemic, there were 8,766 excused absences recorded in the 2018-19 school year at Aragon. In the 2021-22 school year, there were 10,096 excused absences. As students quarantined to prevent the spread of COVID, teachers had to adapt their class structures to account for the prolonged absences.
Prior to the pandemic, there were 8,766 excused absences recorded in the 2018-19 school year at Aragon. In the 2021-22 school year, there were 10,096 excused absences.
The editors of The Aragon Outlook believe that, when dealing with upcoming winter illness, students should not pressure themselves to rush their recovery due to the fear of falling behind. Aragon’s academic environment helps students focus on their mental and physical health without risking the wellbeing of others or worrying about academic repercussions.
According to California’s Education 48205, students with excused absences “shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit.”
According to California’s Education 48205, students with excused absences “shall be allowed to complete all assignments and tests missed during the absence that can be reasonably provided and, upon satisfactory completion within a reasonable period of time, shall be given full credit.”
While it can be stressful to see zeroes from missed assignments, these zeroes are not permanent. The law guarantees that students are able to fully recover from absences without consequence to their grade.
Some students hesitate to stay home due to fear that they will miss out on explanations of content that seem difficult to grasp without in-person instruction. However, through the homework center and biweekly Flex sessions, students can seek support from peers and teachers to learn material and ask for extensions. Missing in-person instruction should not be a reason students come to school sick, as resources and accommodations are available.
Even when a sick student stays home, they should not feel pressured to keep up. If a student is severely ill, they should be exempt from work until they recover. After quarantine policies were implemented as a way to minimize the spread of sickness, many teachers have made schoolwork accessible by posting assignments online. Although beneficial for asymptomatic students, who were obligated to quarantine, it should not pressure symptomatic students to work under unhealthy conditions. Even if all necessary material is posted online, time to make up work after an absence will still be granted in consideration for students who need time to recover.
…through the homework center and biweekly Flex sessions, students can seek support from peers and teachers to learn material and ask for extensions.
Students should stay home when sick to benefit themselves and others. Whether or not they are symptomatic, staying home helps prevent infecting others. Furthermore, it is not only detrimental to work through brain fog, coughing, a sore throat and a runny nose, but also unnecessary, as a support system is in place at Aragon.
Moving forward, teachers can encourage students to stay home when sick by continuing to offer support for students returning from absences, and students can take advantage of these resources. In the meantime, those who are ill should focus on recovering, as it is the better decision in both the short and long-term.
