We, the students of West Salem School District, would like to express our need for in-person learning and co-curricular activities. 

Most of us have attended only 10 days of in-person learning since March, causing us to miss out on so much. Each day brings us closer to the end of our academic year, and for those of us who are seniors, our high school careers. We are also missing out on important college preparation - opportunities we don't get back. We have always been taught to put the classroom first, but it is tremendously difficult to do so without in-person learning. 

We are emotionally drained and constantly trying to find things to look forward to that aren't associated with a screen. For some of us, virtual activities after school only add to the excessive amount of screen time we experience each day. Not only do co-curriculars provide us with an escape, they reward us for what we accomplish in the classroom. If we continue on without in-person learning and co-curriculars, our mental health is at stake.

The West Salem School Board has the power to give us in-person learning and co-curricular activities. These changes should be made now, for each day is another day we miss out on things we need and love. As we approach almost a year of having school and co-curriculars taken from us, we ask that you give us something to look forward to tomorrow and look back on in the future.

We understand this is a difficult time, however we need the support of the West Salem School Board for these changes to be made.