The following article, with four vignettes regarding back to school comments, was published in the March 9 issue of The New York Times with an update April 3 on children’s return to school. The article was written by Ellen Almer Durston, Dan Levin, and Juliana Kim.
• “Credit…Lucy Hewett for The New York Times:
“Chicago: Nathan Beaser, 9; South Loop Elementary School;
“The students in Nathan Beaser’s school are not allowed to socialize with one another at lunch, so for entertainment, the cafeteria staff members put on television shows. Thursday, it was ‘Clifford the Big Red Dog.’
‘“I got to sit right in front of the projection screen,’ said Nathan, who is in third grade, ‘so I could see best.’
“Nathan said he was not sure about returning to school when his parents signed him up for in-person classes. ‘I was a little scared because I didn’t want to get the virus,’ he said. ‘But I feel a lot better because of all the safety precautions. Like, just in case, we have tissues and hand sanitizer everywhere. And they take my temperature before I walk in and after lunch.’
“Nathan’s parents are both physicians at the University of Chicago.
‘“I know the precautions that have been taken, and I know it’s safe,’ said his mother, Anna Beaser. ‘I feel comfortable with the plan they have in place.’
• “Credit…Jeenah Moon for The New York Times:
“New York City: Aaron Levinson, 11, J.H.S. 157;
“Aaron Levinson, who has cerebral palsy, already considers himself a shy kid. Making friends is hard. And months of virtual learning to start off middle school made it harder, said his mother, Gwen Leifer.
“In the desert of Colorado, one university campus became a pandemic laboratory.
“Is the U.S. doing enough to fight the global pandemic? Many experts and business leaders say no.
“New York’s subway is back to 24-hour service.
“Aaron attended a few days of in-person classes last semester before the citywide shutdown of public schools, but there were never more than two other classmates in the room, Ms Leifer said. On some days, Aaron was the only student in class.
“So it was to Aaron’s surprise and glee that when he returned to school in Queens last month, he found seven other students in the room, a result of his school combining cohorts. Now, he is finally making friends.
‘“I don’t want to be on remote, anymore, but I’m going to have to on some days, like on Friday,’ Aaron said. ‘And I’m really scared of school closing.’
“After the first day back, Ms Leifer said she got an ‘earful’ about the new buddies Aaron had found. ‘Going back to school reassures him that some things are getting a bit more normal,’ she said.
• “Credit…Jeenah Moon for The New York Times:
“New York City: Rebecca Rha, 13, M.S. 67;
Returning to the classroom stirred up a mix of emotions for Rebecca Rha.
“She had spent a few weeks in her Queens middle school in November 2020, but when New York City’s entire school system closed because of rising virus cases, she settled into the routine of virtual learning: Waking up late, staying in her pajamas, eating breakfast during class.
“She missed her friends, yes, but the possibility of her school closing again dampened her enthusiasm. ‘I had low expectations,’ Rebecca said.
“Still, the chance to interact with her peers again was enough to get her in the building. And although school has not really felt like school, there is no hugging classmates, no passing notes, no side conversations, she is in the same classroom as her two closest friends.
‘“Even though we’re socially distanced, we’re next to each other, just six feet apart,’ she said.
• “Credit…Jeenah Moon for The New York Times:
“New York City: Ray Francis, 13, M.S. 258;
“Ray Francis’ mother had planned to keep him in virtual school all year. They see his grandmother daily, and she was concerned about her health.
“But it did not go well.
“Ray’s grades dropped. He could not focus. Teachers could not help. His mother, Linda Mojica, said he was mentally ‘not there.’
“So, when his Manhattan middle school reopened, she made the decision to send him back. ‘It took until now, in the Spring, for me to make the full commitment, understanding he needs to go back into the building, and that it’s OK for him to go back into the building,” she said.
“It did not take long to notice a difference.
“Ray said he is finishing his work more quickly. He can focus and retain information better. And it is easier to ask his teacher for help because his new in-person cohort includes fewer students than his online class.
‘“My grades are getting better,’ Ray said. ‘I feel good. I want to learn. I feel happy about learning.’
“After his first day back, Ray called his mother to tell her how it went. ‘He enjoyed it,’ she said, adding that she had not heard him talk about school that way in a long time.”