By Darsh Mirchandani
It is already plenty difficult starting in a new school. The hallways seem to have infinite twists and turns, the teachers seem unfamiliar, and the building seems cold and so far from elementary school. Now, add into the equation a pandemic, masks, as well as the fact that the majority of classmates are remote, and the ones who are in school are six feet away from each other.
This is the situation that this year's seventh graders are going through.
“I never thought I would go from having a normal life, going to school everyday, seeing friends and playing sports to all of a sudden having to be home all the time. I had to learn new technology, and then get used to it,” said seventh grader Carmela Drossman-Schlossberg.
With so many extracurricular activities being canceled, socializing in-person after school is no longer an option. The situation has become unnavigable and unpredictable for many.
“I can’t catch up. With all these crazy things going on in my life and school adding stress, there’s no way I can balance all this craziness,” said seventh grader Aaryan Kapoor.
Source by Anna Detke
Seventh grade students spend their entire day in one classroom, including their lunch period.
However, that doesn't mean that the seventh graders are not adjusting. Teachers have helped students get to know each other through numerous activities, and students at home and in school have interacted with each other.
“Whether learning remotely or as a student in the hybrid plan, they have adjusted well to being part of a new learning environment. The seventh graders have become part of Memorial’s community, sharing their voices whether in person or via the technology,” said seventh grade teacher Mrs. Kaspar.