This school has already proven to be a unique memorable school year for everyone. For the seniors of North Attleboro High School, this is our senior year, but it is unlike one we ever could have imagined. We started the year in the middle of a pandemic that´s continuing to rage and is getting worse each day. Entering school this year already with a delayed start, it was anything aside from normal. It has been cohort A and Cohort B this year and only going to school two days a week is sad for some. With the schedule change and everyday new updates on our global pandemic, the election going on and kids still trying to learn, school has changed a lot.
No one has taken any day easy and all we can do is hope for the best. We´ve truly learned to expect the unexpected. Mental health has taken a toll on many students and for some teachers as well. We´ve been in a world wide global pandemic for almost a year now. The fear and anxiety of the pandemic alone for many people has truly been stressful and exhausting.
For others, the pandemic has given people time at home to think, to lose some connection with extended family and friends due to social distancing and protocols and it has taken many emotional tolls on people depending on their living situation as well.
I have spoken with a few seniors and all three of them have relatively the same outlook on the way the pandemic is affecting their senior year. Olivia Etivrne said, ¨ I’m not a fan because I never know what to expect and everything is constantly changing.¨
Senior Haley Strom agrees with Olivia “ I don’t like the constant change or knowing¨ and ultimately Jess Gaskin said, ¨ It’s been very depressing and sad knowing that we haven’t even had a senior year and the class of 2020 got so much and the attention was focussed on them and we haven’t gotten anything special for our class.¨
With this pandemic and the school year we have adjusted to a new daily schedule that consists of four , 90 minute periods. I spoke with Haley, Jess and Olivia and they talked about some pros and cons of the schedule within their point of view. Jess and Olivia are in cohort A, meaning they go to school the first two days, while Haley and I are in cohort B going the last two days of the week.
Some students have adjusted nicely to the new schedule and taken advantage of the at home days of catching up on work and sleeping in, while others are totally less motivated and falling behind.
Haley said, ¨ I love working from home¨. They all agreed they love doing school from home and working at your own pace. Despite this, though, Olivia and Jess agree they both think it’s hard to motivate themselves when they are at home and Haley misses not being able to see her friends everyday.
Ultimately there is so much to take away from the global pandemic but also our senior year. They all wrapped up with similar ideas of what they´ll take away but Olivia said, ¨I learned what was important to me and not to take anything for granted.¨
Haley said, ¨I will take away that I had a different senior year than anyone else. The ups and downs that we went through will last forever.¨ And ultimately for Jess she said ¨I will take away my senior year that nothing is a given and you should never take anything for granted because it will hurt you in the long run.¨ Senior year will forever be different for our class of 2021 but the memories and lessons will stick with us.
This pandemic has changed many people, has brought many families closer together, and has taught people many life lessons. For the senior classes of 2021, they will never know what it’s like to have a normal senior year, but it will certainly be one they will remember forever.
The First Launch 