School being canceled for a couple of weeks may sound like a student’s dream, but many are bringing up some very good questions about how the closures will affect their futures. MaKenzie Garland, an East Alton-Wood River junior, says she is stressed-out but doesn’t have too many concerns about the schooling in general. She also said, "It’s hard without direct communication with teachers; learning without someone to show you." She says what stresses her out the most is the uncertainty of where they (the students) stand as far as the SATs and the college application process.
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Matt Hasquin, a high school history teacher at Southwestern, says that this has been the biggest challenge of his 23 years of teaching. The hardest part, to him, is not being with his kids in the classroom each day. Before now, Sept. 11, 2001, had been the biggest obstacle he had to overcome, but Mr. Hasquin says that during that period, they were "able to gather together, offer comfort, and work through the tragedy." This situation, though, is something new to everyone. Working in a digital format, assigning work online. It’s all a process to get accustomed to.
Hasquin also adds that having children at home creates another hurdle because he is spending part of his day teaching his own kids and helping them with their work, while also, ensuring his students have been given the work they need and any questions they have are answered. On the brighter side though, he has experienced joy seeing people supporting each other; everyone doing their part to get through this. Although he really doesn’t like this set-up, he will continue doing his part too until things can get back to normal.
While the older students are concerned about college and their futures, many of the younger students are missing their friends. CJ Chenoweth, a fifth-grader at DIS in Collinsville, says he can’t wait to go back. Eighth grade, East Alton Middle School student, Marcus Lemons says he feels "It’s dumb. I don’t understand half the stuff. They really expect us kids to do work when we’re at home? If they want us to do work we should go back to school."
The majority of these children are just wanting to get back to a normal routine.
East Alton-Wood River High School Principal, Leigh Robinson, sent out a robocall earlier this week about the school's work from home program. She explained that, in order to ensure students were not negatively impacted by the circumstances they have been presented with, the school would only apply grades (from work done at home) if those grades would improve the students' overall averages per class. No student will have a grade lower than they started this pandemic with, however, it is an opportunity for them to raise their GPA where needed. All of the community teachers, school board members, and other staff have been great in switching to an online learning program with almost no notice at all, and they are going above and beyond to ensure their student's academic education does not suffer. It seems that everyone is wanting the same thing right now, to get back to a normal school day and finish out their year. As of now, there has not been a definitive end date for e-learning. Everyone impacted will continue to take things day by day and hope for the best.
