Education K-12 and College/University

 Our Future Holds Many Possibilities 

Elementary School

-Giselle Macineira

 

A year ago we were in the middle of starting a new decade, children were looking forward to spending time with their friends after the Holiday break, possibly excited for future family vacations.  The first few months were what we used to call ‘normal.’  Interaction with friends and family wasn’t distant.  The faces that they saw day in, day out were uncovered.  Play areas were available to be used by all.  Sharing food, toys, books and other tools for activities was allowed.  There was a routine in place only broken up by teachers work days and weekends.

That all came to a stop and their way of life shifted from a playful and joyous life to almost instant imprisonment with no end.  Gone were the days of seeing friends and even using their favorite playground. Outdoor recreation came to a stop; schooling became that of the online variety where confused parents tried their best to juggle their own jobs with unfamiliar school work.  The environment caused arguments because children need to burn off energy and some live in places where space is at a premium.  Some were faced in dealing with their abusers with the little break provided by spending time in school.  The routine was gone, replaced by chaos and the ‘new normal’ that covered the faces of those they cared for and made a simple thing such as a hug into something almost illegal.

There was no difference between normal school and summer.  No break to be heard of, no vacations to go on. Gradually some facets of life started to morph into something ‘normal’ but, with many changes.

For some nothing has changed.  Many children are still homeschooled because they fear of getting a potentially deadly virus at any corner.  The few that have returned to a school building are faced with having to use masks, hand sanitizer, social distancing and the loss of human contact.  Their classes are held with their desks surrounded by a wall of Plexiglas. Recreation is scarce and the act of being locked indoors has caused tension between the children, parents and even the teachers that have to pick up the slack.  Some children will never see their friends again either because an illness has taken their lives or because their family can no longer afford to live in that current area.  

A year from now, it is likely we’ll be in the same predicament, hopefully with less strict rules that allow the children to interact with their friends, play more and not be restricted to wearing a mask.  Hopefully they will not have to look at their teacher through the haze of an acrylic and see people smiling at them again and being able to play with no fear, engaging normally.  Family vacations, where both kids and parents can let go of daily tensions and just relax from all the stress from daily routine.  Family activities are not complete if there is not tension and worries about putting people we love in danger.