Normal School Next Year? Say what??
By Liam McCarthy ('22) and Agne Adomauskaite ('22)
As the end of the year is approaching, one question is heavy on everyone’s mind: What will our new school year look like?
With vaccines getting administered in the thousands every day and cases decreasing, the possibility of going back to school full-time seems likely. The return to school for both remote and hybrid students will take some time and serious adjustment. After a long year of Google Meets, technical issues, and losses of motivation, some students are excited about the return. On the other hand, some remote students have gotten used to the switch and prefer the at-home environment. To gather some feedback we interviewed both remote and in-school students.
Julia Howe ('22)
Julia Howe (‘22) has been remote the entire year. When asked about her experience, junior Julia Howe said, “I liked the flexibility of doing work and it made things feel less stressful. It took some adjusting but I think that online learning benefited students in ways that were better for their mental health.”
Another remote student, Bailey Rose (‘22) said, “For me, personally, remote learning was a difficult adjustment but now that we have done it for a year, I prefer it. Teachers post videos of the recorded lessons and I can go back and watch them if I’m ever having trouble with something. Going back to school full time is going to be very difficult to adjust to.” Remote learners got used to the adjustment over time and grew to like it for the flexibility. For these students, the adjustment will prove difficult.
Bailey Rose ('22)
Katie Brezosky ('22)
Kaitlyn Brezosky (‘22) said she’s “excited for senior year as it is a possibility for the Class of 2022 to get one more full school year.” Due to the pandemic, the Class of 2022 (current juniors) has only gotten one full year of traditional school at NRHS.
“It will be fun to finish how we started as everyone looks forward to their senior year of high school,” said Kaitlyn. Senior year is a chance for students to make some lasting high school memories and this, now more than ever, is needed.
While there may be some benefits to learning remotely, being home all day, every day, definitely has its disadvantages. “In-school learning is important for students,” said Sophia Lubeck (‘22), “having such limited interactions with my peers has definitely taken a toll on mine, and most likely many others, social skills.” While Google Meets and breakout rooms have proven effective temporarily, continuing with these methods, for remote learners especially, may not be beneficial socially.
Even hybrid learners, though they are in school nearly every day, are slightly deprived of classroom interactions as there are not nearly as many kids in school as there once were. Cameran Gavan (‘22) hybrid learner at NRHS, stated “Being in school and getting to see my friends and teachers is definitely great; it’s much easier to ask questions and converse with my peers.”
Sophia Lubeck ('22)
Cameran Gavan ('22)
"I am very hopeful for the start of the 2021-2022 school year,” said Dr. Gill, “Based upon news from the State of New York and the Education Department, I am hopeful for the return of all students to in-person school at the start of the school year. As more New Yorkers get vaccinated and the Covid-19 infection rates continue to drop, I believe that we can return to normal next year.”
“I am very excited for the Class of 2022 as they will have an awesome senior year!!!!," said Dr.Gill, " I can't wait to get back to all the things that exemplify Raider Pride: all students learning in our classrooms, extracurricular activities, sports, live concerts/plays/performances, community service initiatives, etc.!!! We all have reason to be hopeful!!!"
Returning to normal is going to be an adjustment for all students. Recently, New Jersey has announced that there will be no remote learning option for the 2021-22 school year. According to the official site for New Jersey, all students are permitted to attend in-person learning full time unless there is a localized outbreak. Hopefully, a return to a normal schedule will be in place for us as well this fall!