School Life During the Pandemic

The empty schoolyard of West Point Grey Academy. (Cindy Cao/FFA)

The COVID-19 pandemic, in my opinion, is one of the greatest challenges we will face in our lifetime. The pandemic has not only altered the world as a whole, but it has also changed the routine of daily life. Since March 2020, the longing for a cure to this life-changing mess is still arduous because currently, there is no return to the norm. Despite all of the bankruptcies, lockdowns, and societal impacts this headache has caused, we need to persevere and continue forward with our lives. Education is one of the services we need to restart to push ahead. Schools need to find ways for their students to return back on campus and when September arrived, every student got the sign that a fresh year ahead was just about to transpire. This is my experience of the first school day.

Students are welcomed back to school with physical distancing protocols in place at Lynn Valley Elementary in North Vancouver on June 1. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-back-to-school-plan-1.5666749

The minute I stepped off my car I was welcomed with a long snake-like line. Every student stood outside waiting to register and sanitize before entering the school. The sun was still sleeping and all the pupils awkwardly stood away from their friends since social distancing rules were in effect. I immediately lined up and tried to spot my friends, however, I was unable to approach them. As I entered the campus on the first day, everything was noticeably different. Tables were set apart, the cafeteria was closed, class hours were changed and nothing was the same. Covid impacted every bit of school and at first, it was hard to accommodate to the changes, however, after a few months of this new normal, students start to accept this new reality. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted school and the world in so many ways but we will all work together to overcome this obstacle.