Back to school: it’s not how it used to be

Being back in school is most definitely different for everyone. After seven months of quarantine, most kids are probably excited to come back and see friends and not have to look at a computer screen to see their teachers. Here are some of the things that the students and teachers think about how the in-school experience is going so far:

“It’s great to see all the students in the building, I think the staff is excited, and the students are excited to see one another,” said Mr. Ryan Smith, middle school principal. 

Some students may have some catching up to do from online learning, but we have staff that is flexible and willing to support them through this transition.

Other differences are the lunches, now that everyone needs to be social distancing, the lunch schedules have changed quite a bit. There used to be two lunches for middle school during the day. One for fifth and sixth, and one for seventh and one-eighth graders. Now there are four, one for each grade, so that students are safe.

Another big difference from being online is that students get to see each other and interact with each other.

Some challenges that students have been faced with is wearing the mask. Many, if not all students do not like wearing masks for almost eight hours. Another thing that students have been faced with is social distancing. Most students do not like having to stand six feet away from their friends.

¨You get to interact with teachers and friends, and you get to wave to your old teachers¨, said Trinity Vojtko, a seventh-grader.

When you are online it’s weird to ask questions when you’re online. Since if you have a question about something you have to ask in front of the whole class, not just asking your teacher in-school one-on-one.  It is awkward just talking to a screen, when answering a question, or asking a question.

¨It’s also harder to hear your teachers and friends, through a mask. You kind of have to yell so they can hear you.¨, says Mackenzie Mohrbacher, seventh-grader.