Ms. Hernandez’s 3rd period freshmen World History class. (Credit: Denise Perez / Hp Spartan Shield)
The current freshman class shares how they feel about being a high schooler after going through distance learning most of their middle school experience.
Middle school, usually the building block for high school, had not prepared the incoming freshman class for the overwhelming first year of in-person learning.
When freshman, Jaqueline Rodriguez, was asked what she did in middle school she replied, “Nothing. There were no assignments, no work, no sort of preparation.”
This may have been due to teachers feeling sympathy for their students and giving them a much-needed break during such a mentally draining year.
The freshman class shared that distance learning was extremely distracting and not effective at all. Most shared that learning through a screen was nowhere near as effective as in-person learning.
They encountered countless distractions from parents not respecting their learning space by barging in, being obnoxiously loud, and expecting them to take on different responsibilities during class time.
The Class of 25’ do not feel like 9th graders. Instead, they feel like they are middle schoolers, specifically 7th graders.
This is because the last time they had in-person classes was in 7th grade. Now that in-person learning has resumed they feel at heart they are still in 7th grade. Unfortunately, they had most of their middle school experience stripped away by zoom. In a blink of an eye, they had essentially become high school students.
Not only do freshmen feel as though they are not their grade level but also do the rest of the grades. Students participated in a survey to conclude what grade they felt they were.
Poll:
When asked what has surprised them the most about high school, they replied extremely enforced dress code. Most middle schools around HPHS have an enforced uniform policy.
Students were excited to attend HPHS because there is no uniform policy. Although they are experiencing freedom there are many restrictions that follow. To learn more on the HPHS dress code read the article by staff writer and Features editor, Misela Gonzalez, Dress Code: Pandemic Edition.
The hardest part of high school for the freshman class was returning to school, interacting with people again, and having a new schedule with 8 classes. Not only does this apply to the freshman but also to the sophomore class.
Andy Gonzalez, a sophomore at HPHS, states, “Personally, after the pandemic, it was hard to socialize with new people and learn because people were not mature enough. I was scared to branch out and meet new people. It was just intimidating to approach new people after being distant for a year and a half.”
HPHS students are expected to be responsible for following COVID protocols inside and outside campus to ensure they are not putting anyone’s health at risk. Socializing at school may be difficult for those students attempting to make new friends because they can’t trust that those people are strictly following the guidelines.
The stereotypical punking on incoming freshmen no longer scares them. Instead, they fear COVID taking away their high school experience as the pandemic is still among us.
By Denise Perez, Boy-Sports Editor