Medford students return to in-person learning for good

On Monday, the Medford School District officially brought back all of its students, elementary through high school, back to in-person learning for good.

Students are only back in the classroom four times this week, with an extra day off but will be back five days a week starting next week.

Newswatch 12's brett taylor has been covering this momentous day for students all across the medford school district.

Brett what can you tell us.

Brian and alicia its just as you guys mention everyone that is apart of the medford school districts seems really excited to no longer have to worry about comprehensive distance learning or a hybrid model.

And for parents, students and staff this is day that they've all been wishing for.

"we have kids back and that is exciting.

Kids are finally back in the classroom for good in the medford school district.

Something that the district superintendent has long been waiting for.

It is a, has been a long time coming for months, dr. champion and the rest of the medford school district have been working towards a singular goal of getting kids back onto school grounds and it's morning.

[take :lower third] çááálower thirdáááÑ that finally became a reality early this morning.

Uh, it was probably about six 30.

Um, i happened to be outside and a school bus rolled down my street and i thought, here we go.

For some students at south medford high school.

[take :lower third] çááálower thirdáááÑ it's been really great.

Seeing everybody faces that we haven't seen in a long time, [tke :lower third] çááálower thirdáááÑ honestly, like i woke up and it just felt like a normal day.

And then they hit me.

I was like, wait, i'm actually going to see everyone today.

And it was really special to have that.

Well for others, there have been a few hurdles on their first day back.

There's been a few bumps in the road.

I like tripped and spilled my coffee everywhere this morning, but overall [take :lower third] çááálower thirdáááÑ it's really awesome to be back in the school and, and just be like, be able to see all my friends and, and be more social and just.

Um, it's such a good feeling to be like, finally, we're back [take :lower third] çááálower thirdáááÑ the journey.

Getting to this point though, hasn't been an easy one because of the coronavirus pandemic and has left an everlasting effect on the next generation.

There's a lot of heartbreak, to be honest, not only for my class, but for the class of 2020, seeing them not be able to finish out their school year properly and seeing them just kind of fade away, not being able to say goodbye to a lot of the students.

And now incoming students that have never experienced high school, middle school or elementary school in person, or having to learn how to socially adjust on the fly.

It's scary as a freshmen to walk in with maybe three friends that you don't have a class with any of them.

So it's like.

They really need the opportunity to make new friends, but giving students the opportunity to move past these challenges and back into school presents a much better option according to dr. champion than dealing with the effects of cdl in isolated learning.

You realize that getting kids back where they have a better opportunity to learn where they're able to be social and interact.

With their peers, which is what the teenage mind is longing for.

Um, and they, they are, um, able to, to experience some of the, the rites of passage that, that many of us have gotten to experience.

It just makes a lot of sense to be back in school.

."

Although everyone is really excited to be back into the classroom full-time there have been a few kinks today, but of course that's to be expected when you're bringing back all students when everyone has been at home for the last year.

But for ara, mateo