With the beginning of the new school year comes new freshmen, eagerly awaiting to embark upon their high school journey.
However, this year is a bit different than those prior. As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread, everyone has been affected,and students have been no exception.
The traditional classroom setting has been replaced with computers and Zoom lessons, while school days are now filled with sitting in front of screens. If nothing else, these changes have created a very strange beginning of high school for this year’s freshmen. The jump from middle school to high school is always a major transition, even more so this year.
Freshman Jordan Doty says, “High school has been a lot different from PRM. As a KHS student, you have so much more freedom than as a student at PRM.”
Doty goes on to say that as there are more teachers at KHS, the people in her classes have greatly differed from in middle school.
Freshman Nathan Bautista also enjoys the freedom that comes with high school and says that “a big plus is the rotation schedule we use.”
As high school is vastly different from middle school, the freshmen have taken the first month to adjust to the new setting. With the pandemic, teachers have to find ways to help students become accommodated with the school.
Doty says, “ being a student doing the hybrid schedule with teachers using all different tactics to keep students involved when online and in person.”
Bautista says that while students were not prepared for the pandemic, as time went on, students adapted to the new format, from taking tests to handing in assignments virtually.
One of the things that has changed greatly for students is how they are actually learning. Teachers have resorted to using Zoom and Google Meet to interact with their students and assignments are all completed online.
Freshman Claire Wang commented, “Online learning makes it harder to focus on class because there are distractions at home like bad Wi-Fi and students not being able to join their meetings.”
One issue that came from this new hybrid and all online format for school is getting involved with the community. New challenges arose when it came to extracurriculars because it is important to stay safe when doing activities.
Freshman Troy Schneider said that he was able to get involved in school extracurriculars by joining the soccer team and attending KHS football games.
With the pandemic, the step to high school has been a little more difficult for the freshmen. Regardless, freshmen enjoy the new freedom that comes with high school and look forward to seeing the new opportunities that will be available to them.
