Students look back on COVID warped school year: ‘It was this feeling of finality’
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“It was this feeling of finality,” Shah said. “All the sadness hit, because we’re never going to see each other again.” But as the fifth COVID-19 wave ebbed, Shah said she and her classmates made the most of the remaining time they had together.“We had this high, almost, because a lot of restrictions were lifted,” said Shah, 18. “We’re trying to catch up on all of the social aspects of the years, and then also all of the academics.”
“It felt amazing to actually be able to celebrate all of those years of schooling … with your teachers, your friends and family,” said Shah. “I don’t think that’s something that can be replaced with virtual activities.”Ari Blake stayed home from school last week because he was sick with COVID-19, the contagion that has shaped more than a third of his grade school education.
A lot has changed since the start of the school year, when students weren’t allowed to spend recess with kids outside of their class cohort, Ari said.When the mask mandate dropped, Ari said it was initially a little strange to see many of his classmates’ full faces. But after about a week, he got used to it. And eventually, he stopped wearing his mask, too.