Riverdale’s High-Performing Academic Environment Causes Sick Day Dilemma

The accessibility of online classes along with a fear of falling behind makes many sick students feel obligated to attend virtual class.

Ally Samuels / The Riverdale Review

This year, Riverdale has been tasked with giving students a quality education during a worldwide pandemic. The school has opted for a system in which students are on campus for two days of the week and remote for the other three days. Riverdale has been preventing the spread of the virus with routine COVID-19 tests, a mandatory, daily health survey, and contact tracing. However, what if you are sick? And since students take classes online for the majority of the week, are sick days a thing of the past? 

Riverdale has always respected the notion of a sick day, and the school’s opinions have not changed despite the introduction of virtual classes. They have made it well-known that students should focus on their own health and to take time off from school if necessary, whether classes are remote or in-person. 

However, while it is clear that a sick student should stay home on an in-person day, sick students still struggle deciding whether to attend online classes. Why do people question the validity of a sick day even if Riverdale faculty vouch for people to use them if they are necessary? Riverdale's high-performing and competitive academic atmosphere makes it difficult for students to choose between prioritizing their health or their schoolwork. Fearing they may fall behind if they miss class time, students often feel an unflinching need to attend every class. This issue has only been exacerbated by virtual learning, especially it only takes a few clicks to join a Zoom classroom.

For example, I have recently been under the weather and I have not been able to miss class. The amount of energy I have had for academic activities is meager. Yet, I internally debate whether I am making the right decision every time I miss a class. Missing class and getting some extra sleep would expedite my recovery, but it would come at the cost of missing important class time. 

When I would miss a class in recent years, the amount of pressure that I felt was immense. Going into my junior year, I had a mentality that I must attend all online classes or else I would fall behind. After all, this was the year I was taking Constructing America, arguably Riverdale’s most demanding class. 

I had exceedingly high expectations for myself given that school is mostly virtual. The start of school was moved to 9:00 A.M. Presumably, I should be well-rested for my classes. Thus, I thought, this school year should be easier.

While I struggle with this dilemma often, it is likely one that many others Riverdale students have also faced. The issue of whether or not to use a sick day is valid is self imposed and now widespread within the student body.

Although this year has been unlike any other, it does not mean that we should distance ourselves from past practices. As students, it is important to focus on our health. We go to school to learn, and this can only be achieved when we value our well-being. Yes, missing school may cause some worry. But it’s worse when you cannot perform to the best of your ability due to an ailment.