Friday night football games, homecoming, homecoming court. A year ago today, student life would have been normal for this year’s seniors. Now, for their last year of high school, they’re stuck with online school.
“I miss not only my friends, but making genuine connections with my teachers was something I looked forward to that’ll be extremely difficult online,” senior Erik Smith said.
Social interactions play an important role in education. Even for teachers, it helps them adjust their teaching by observing students. Interacting with others has proven helpful for students to reflect on their understanding, organize their thoughts and find gaps in their reasoning. But even just the most simple thing as communication with a peer is something that really matters.
“I miss seeing people and having a social interaction with students and teachers.” senior Molly McCune said, “I also miss all of the clubs and sports.”
After the September 10 board of education meeting and a 5-2 vote in favor of athletics,
(SMSD Board approves return to fall sports – SM South News) sports resumed for SMSD. Student athletes were happy with this decision but the sporting events will be nothing like years before, especially for spectators.
Smith, a varsity basketball player, is trying to keep a positive mindset for sports this year.
“I have high hopes about the basketball season being normal and the virus being under control by then, but realistically all the guys are preparing to have a season without fans,” Smith said, “One of my favorite things about South basketball is being on the court and just hearing the crowd roar behind us. The crowd really helped last year.”
No one knows what the rest of the year will hold, but seniors are hoping that things will return back to normal so they can make the most of their last year of high school.
For freshmen, the first few weeks here at South can be extremely exciting. Football games, music in the halls, lots of new people.
Except you’re not at South.
As seniors learn to finish out their high school years online, freshmen are having to learn to start high school in a remote environment. Many remember the differences of middle school to high school not only academically but also socially.
This year’s freshmen have yet to have the opportunity to experience that change.
“Part of it too is the transitioning from middle school to high school is it seems more fun in high school but I haven’t gotten the high school experience online,”freshman Abby Kreamer said. “There’s no way you can socialize or be apart of anything when you’re online,”
Without these typical high school events and no in person classes, the freshmen have had less opportunity to meet new people.
“I haven’t really gotten to meet anybody I didn’t already know,” Kreamer said. “I feel like that is a big part of freshman year getting to meet new people in your classes but that is hard on online.”.
Although it has not been a normal start back to school, some freshmen are still looking forward to getting the high school experience when school returns to in-person learning.
“I look forward to meeting new people and meeting the teachers and just seeing what high school is all about,” freshman Annie Summers said.