Virtual Students Anticipate the Return to a ‘Normal School Year’
Media by Emmie Foley
With only about 10-15 students preparing for asynchronous virtual schooling next year, Aidan Zonies, freshman, is part of the vast majority of virtual students who will transition to in-person schooling after summer. Although he thinks he will be able to ease back into regular high school learning relatively quickly, Zonies said he is still a bit anxious about next year.
Despite the fact that Marquette’s 2020-2021 school year is at an end, Aidan Zonies, freshman, who has been participating in online school due to COVID-19, is already anticipating coming back in person next fall.
“I’m hoping next year I can just live out my life,” Zonies said. “This year has felt so empty, and just, nothing’s happened. I’m just hoping I can be with my friends, I can go out, take some risks — do something normal teens would do.”
The FDA declared on Monday, May 10, that the coronavirus vaccine was available for people ages 12-15, making everyone attending MHS eligible to receive a vaccine.
With that in mind, and with only about 10-15 students preparing for asynchronous virtual schooling next year, Zonies is part of the vast majority of virtual students who will transition to in-person schooling after summer. Although he thinks he will be able to ease back into regular high school learning relatively quickly, Zonies said he is still a bit anxious about next year.
Chief among Zonies’ concerns is the possibility of having lost his ability to socialize after a year of talking through screens. He also said he is worried about the fundamentals of high school.
“I’m a little concerned about the basics of me not going to know my way around the school as a sophomore,” Zonies said. “I know I’m going to feel out of place in a few ways.”
I’m just hoping I can be with my friends, I can go out, take some risks — do something normal teens would do.
— Aidan Zonies
Echoing Zonies’ fears is Avanti Singh, freshman, who said her main concern regarding the transition is the changing schedule.
“I feel like it’s going to be a bit more difficult, just because I got used to the online schedule and the in person one is a bit different. But I think overall, I’m okay with it.”
Singh has a proposal for the school to help virtual students transition.
“You know how last year they were doing a freshman transition day but they couldn’t because of COVID? I think that would be kind of nice for people who were virtual all year so they could get a feel for what the building is going to be like,” she said.
On the other hand, Addison Thurston, freshman, is the picture of confidence regarding the transition from virtual to in person next year. He said he feels fully ready and excited about next year, although he also said he feels next year will be different because “online kids haven’t gotten to socialize much.”
What Thurston wants regarding next year is something many other virtual students can agree with: “A normal school year.”
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