A Day In The (Hybrid) Life
A Senior Describes Her Day
November 13, 2020
After experiencing the new hybrid schedule for the first time, RMHS senior Grace Brenner recently reflected on her school day, expressing both worry and positive feelings about the sense of normalcy and few days of in-person classes every month.
In an interview conducted over the phone, Brenner described her school day which she starts at 8:40 with her A-block class which is calculus. She parks her car, as usual, checks in at the door, and feels “safe going into class because most classes are very small and spaced out.” The precautions the school has taken, including social distancing, requiring masks, and keeping classrooms clean, seem to be very reassuring. When Brenner arrives at calculus she is happy to be “able to see some of [her] friends.” This is something many students have not been able to do for a long period of time and although students cannot really interact with each other Brenner said it is a positive part of her school day. At the same time, though, she said, “I worry about in-person learning with winter coming and rising cases.” The situation really is two-sided. I’m not sure if going only four days a month is worth the risk. — Grace Brenner ('21)
Brenner then cleans her desk and walks to her b-block class, epidemic disease. This class is so big that it requires a satellite classroom. Classes are split by students’ last names. For this particular class, the beginning of the alphabet includes more than half of the roster. With this split as well as the switching off between grades attending school every other week, students are only in the building four days a month. Brenner said, “I’m not sure if going only four days a month is worth the risk.” Students like Brenner are only in the building for a few hours on those four days each month and still, if someone they were in the vicinity of for a long enough period reports having COVID-19, Brenner would have to quarantine for two whole weeks. This is a big consequence for such a short time of in-person learning.
During lunch, Brenner sits in her car as she finds it kind of awkward how the lunchroom is set up and “sad we can’t have our circle tables senior year.” Brenner is not the only student to do this which shows how uncomfortable students are with eating in the lunchroom at singular desks, six feet apart. This is a necessity, though, as health is the first priority. I think our system is great for now, and I hope we will be able to go more often eventually, but I think our school is being smart by doing things gradually and socially distant. — Grace Brenner ('21)
After lunch Grace reports to her C-block class, AP literature, before returning home at about 3:05.
Reflecting on how the hybrid school year has been so far, all two days of it, Brenner “wish[es] we could go back to the way things were [eventhough she doesn’t think] there will be much normalcy until at least the spring.”
This school year is a completely new experience for everyone; the overall wish is simply for things to return to normal as in-person school days seem to be uncomfortable or awkward. To reflect on this in a positive light though, Brenner said, “I think our system is great for now, and I hope we will be able to go more often eventually, but I think our school is being smart by doing things gradually and socially distant.”
The situation we are in is unfortunate, but according to Brenner, despite the discomfort of it all, this is as good as it can get for now.
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