School closures, mask mandates, and social distancing guidelines have reshaped every part of the academic realm, including virtual learning, sporting events, performing arts, and socialization. But the strength and resilience of students, parents, and educators nationwide has persevered to find creative solutions for making the most of difficult times.
Performing Arts During Covid
Starting last spring, the onset of COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines forced performing arts programs across the country to find creative solutions for their students. For example, California’s Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Theatre Program has learned what it means to put on virtual performances. Sophomore Katy Bell explained to the HS Insider that the actors now record everything without an audience. While it is difficult for a group who typically feeds off the reactions and engagements of other people as they work, she said getting to do the thing they love is all that matters at the end of the day. A sentiment shared by FVHS teacher Robert Zick, experiencing his own learning process as he picks up editing duties for the virtual shows and does everything he can to give students a fun, positive performing experience.
The Impact of Remote Learning
The need for resilience and adaptability among students has become a common theme in all areas of the educational realm. Despite the scary, uncertain times the whole world is living through right now, our kids are still getting up each day, attending classes, whether virtual or with masks on in-person, and being asked to meet the same academic standards from before the pandemic. Recent studies of performance in subjects like reading and mathematics which compared fall 2020 testing results to that of fall 2019, show mixed data. On one hand, reading results have remained on par from year-to-year, despite the disruption to normal learning. On the other, however, mathematics scores showed a five to ten percentile point drop this past year due to a lack of face-to-face instruction.
But despite this variation in testing numbers, teachers and parents alike know their children are persevering through one of the hardest periods in any of our lifetimes and deserve recognition for the strength they have shown. From elementary to college students, we are seeing the development of skills far beyond the classroom with kids discovering creative ways to learn, to stay connected with others, and to enjoy the activities they love.
Athletics in the Pandemic
In addition to the added academic stress and lack of socialization many kids are feeling, their normal athletic schedules and experiences have also been disrupted. For many, sports allow them to express themselves, interact with peers, relieve stress, and grow as young adults. With the continued cancellations or necessary changes made among high school athletics to combat the spread of coronavirus, kids are losing out on experiences they expected to get throughout their school career.
In spite of this, however, kids and coaches alike are making the adjustments work because it’s worth the added difficulty. For example, in Manhasset, Long Island, student athletes are subject to weekly tests, mandatory masks, no spectators, and remote learning during their shortened seasons. The wrestling team practices in marked out areas six feet apart with the door open and set partners. Basketball now live streams games because they must play without fans or family members. But senior Emma LoPinto says getting to play the game she loves again for the first time since last March is the only thing on her mind.
Keeping Mental Health in Focus
While the many restrictions placed on activities from basketball to theater feel daunting to students, the overall benefit of returning with masks on and social distancing enforced is already being seen. Last spring when everything shut down suddenly and drastically, at least 3 in 10 parents noticed their child experiencing emotional or mental harm due to the closures. They missed their friends, struggled to focus with virtual classes that weren’t as challenging or engaging, and were potentially even dealing with family health or financial crises. The students who were able to adjust the easiest were the ones who had teachers checking in on them, opening up conversations about mental health, and discussing the scary nature of the world around us.
As we move forward toward the light of mass vaccination, we know it’s still a tough road to recovery for all of us. The best we can do for our students is give them as many safe opportunities as possible to connect and enjoy their school years. As we help them get through the pandemic, it’s important to celebrate the wins along the way, big or small. Maybe like Katy Bell and Emma LoPinto said, it’s simply getting to do the activities they love, even with restrictions. Maybe it’s taking a step back from rigorous academic standards and asking ourselves as a society what the most important lessons are for our kids right now. Because sometimes the keys to growing them into young adults go beyond mathematical functions and linguistic symbolism. And sometimes the rest of us could learn greater resilience by taking a page out of their books.
Recognizing Students in Hard Times
Last March when schools first began closing, this is exactly what the athletic administrative assistant at Perkins High School in Sandusky, Ohio recognized. With the shutdown, the seniors were missing out on prom, spring sports, graduation, and the normal recognition ceremonies built to celebrate their time in high school. Similar to schools nationwide, who saw teachers throwing parades for students, Perkins wondered how they could still pay tribute to their seniors. Then she realized her department had an interactive Wall of Fame perfectly suited for her new need for adaptable, digital content. She created profiles for each senior, recognizing their athletic, academic, and artistic achievements from over the years for families to view online. And now almost a year later, it still lives on their website, immortalizing the strength and power of the Perkins community to come together during the pandemic.
Students over the past eleven months have gone through a lot and lost out on many normal opportunities. But with the help of incredible teachers, administrators, and parents, these same kids have gotten to reclaim their favorite activities and be proud of what they accomplished in the face of hardship. Eventually, the pains and frustrations of the pandemic will pass, but the achievements, growth, and perseverance seen from students across the country will live on forever.
Sources:
https://abc7ny.com/long-island-sports-li-school-covid-coronavirus/10327073/
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