Reflections on an academic year like no other

Samantha Mack in a hallway at Calhoun High School in Merrick... — Samantha Mack in a hallway at Calhoun High School in Merrick on Oct. 16. Credit: Barry Sloan

By Newsday StaffJune 27, 2021

For Long Island’s students, parents and teachers, the 2020-21 school year arrived with oceanic force, challenging virtually every aspect of the school experience.

Students like Samantha Mack, of Merrick, had to watch their teachers through screens — sometimes a computer screen in their room, other times a plastic screen around their school desk. Teachers like Ric Stark, a Hewlett physics instructor, had to reinvent their educational tool kit. And parents such as Jessica Leavey, of Ronkonkoma, had to, day by day, weigh the safety of their children against the strong pull of wanting them in school.

In these essays, these Long Islanders share their thoughts on a school year that was little loved but will be long remembered. Challenging as it was, it was also inspiring and rewarding.

Cordelia Anthony, science teacher at Farmingdale High School and president of the Farmingdale Federation of Teachers

It’s difficult to explain to people that are not in the field of education how hard this year has been, but it also has been rewarding to have helped guide students through one of the most challenging school years ever.

If one word could describe this school year, it would be — exhausting.

The way we all had to manage our anxiety, personal health concerns, on top of the expectation to not only adapt at a moment's notice, was both physically and mentally draining. From trying to teach and learn through positive cases, masks, barriers, computer screens and quarantines, while simultaneously dodging all the political curveballs thrown at public education, we just never seemed to have a moment of rest.

I’m proud of the hard work of my colleagues this year more than ever, and although everyone had different opinions, they handled each situation professionally.

I’m hopeful that the next school year will be more normal and will resemble school years before COVID. Although we are resilient, I still have concerns about the effect on the mental well-being of both students and staff who have endured so much personally and professionally during this time.

Jessica Leavey, Ronkonkoma mother with a freshman daughter in Connetquot High School

At first, I was grateful for our district’s every-other-day-in-person hybrid option. I hoped as we moved through the fall, the predictions of a spike in cases wouldn’t be realized and the kids could return full time. But that didn’t happen. They didn’t return five days a week until March 15.

There was a disconnect from Day One. Despite teachers and administrators’ best efforts, every-other-day synchronous learning is, quite simply, lacking. They needed to be in an actual classroom. It is hard to build a rapport with a teacher or make friends behind masks and plastic shields, only seeing them in person every other day. The ninth-graders missed out on all the events and traditions used to bring the students into the fold.

Laptops were back-ordered, so for at least half the year, some students were doing work on their phones, which are formatted differently. My daughter frequently came home with headaches from the plastic shields and her phone. She didn’t get a school-issued laptop until November — some students not until January.

The winter was the worst. Frequent quarantines and rising cases meant interrupted learning and stress. The school went all virtual for a few days periodically when they just didn’t have enough staff to cover classes.

I hope the fall is back to normal. This generation has essentially lost two years of growth — academically and emotionally. Looking ahead further, I hope colleges look at these years through the lens of what these kids have lived through — a complete upheaval of life as they knew it, and extended uncertainty.

Samantha Mack, senior at Calhoun High School in Merrick

I’m very sad my senior year has officially come to an end. Thinking back to September, I never thought that I would be able to finish my last year of high school in-person and all together. Things were sad then; we weren't able to go into school with all of our friends on our last first day, faces were shielded by masks, and we were stuck behind plastic barriers that separated those of us who were together.

When the year started, it was the first fall without a homecoming. However, as the year progressed, sports finally didn’t seem so impossible. Then it came out that each and every sport was going to get their season to play. It was a very exciting time for all the athletes in our school, especially the seniors, who were given an opportunity to continue playing their sports for maybe the last time.

Even if you weren't an athlete, sports brought back school spirit, which brought back a sense of normalcy in a time where we all needed a sense of normal.

Then vaccines started to be developed and talked about. More and more students started to come to school because they felt safer. With the vaccine, contact tracing in school was no longer a worry in the heads of my peers. Restrictions started to dwindle, one by one.

I will be attending Ohio State University. Going into my next four years, I couldn’t be more excited. I feel safe with my vaccine, and I'm so happy things are becoming normal again.

I can't wait to see what the future holds for me.

Compiled by Craig Schneider. Photos by Reece T. Williams and James Carbone