“I’m Finally Going Back to School!”

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I’m headed to Grade 8 this week with my fingers crossed in hopes that school will be back to normal as soon as possible.

I remember the moment when I realized that COVID-19 might last longer than I imagined.  It was around the time when my school sent out emails saying that school wouldn’t be in session and online learning would take its place. I was talking to my parents, and I asked them how long they thought we would be in lockdown mode. “Maybe half a year? Worst case scenario”, one of my parents said. The thought of half a year of what was already a miserable two or three weeks scared the crap out of me. Looking back now, almost exactly half a year later, makes me realize how strange it was that I didn’t think the pandemic would last as long as it did. And now that school is starting up again, I realize that I’m feeling the same disbelief that I experienced previously. I know that school won’t be the same as before—it probably won’t be the same for a long time, but I’m excited to grasp the fact that I’m getting an opportunity to go back to what I once was used to.

I have a basic idea of what to expect — I did go back to school for two weeks, before the second wave of COVID-19 hit in Beijing. It was nice at first, getting to see the friends that I hadn’t seen in over three months, but soon enough, I became tired of the routine and wanted to go back to online learning. We had to follow a strict routine of taking our temperature many times a day, sitting a meter apart, and staying in the same classroom the entire day. Even though I know it was for our own safety, I didn’t like doing it. I felt like I was more productive at home and could freely wander on my own, instead of feeling like I was trapped in one classroom for an entire day.

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So now I find myself wondering: What’ll be different this school year? And what will stay the same?

First of all, I know that there will a difference in the teachers and kids. According to my school, Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), about 80% of our student body are back in Beijing at the moment, and more will come back later in the school year. For now, though, the classes are supposed to be separated into online learning and in-person learning, and the classes will mostly be in one classroom.

Secondly, there will be COVID-19 precautions. Before the second outbreak happened in Beijing, WAB opened up the school for in-person learning. We were there for two weeks before the second wave. It was very different from the schedule that I’d grown used to before. We had temperature checks at least two times before being allowed into the classroom, had to stay one meter apart with masks on at all times, and we had to share a classroom with the same people, usually staying in the same room the entire day. As there haven’t been any new cases for about a month now, I’m hoping that the rules will be slightly bent, such as allowing everyone to break the rule of standing one meter apart and staying in one class. Hopefully, I’m right and we won’t need to take as many precautions, but it’s always good to stay safe!
Third, we will be able to interact more and use different facilities. WAB is a place that has great resources and facilities to be used by students when they need it, such as their gyms, libraries, workspaces and other rooms for other activities such as music. When we were back before the second outbreak, we weren’t able to wander and use the different parts of the school as much. Hopefully, when school reopens for my grade tomorrow, more of their facilities will be able to be used by students.
I’m excited to see how this school year turns out, as I’m sure I can blog about the differences of this year from a normal school year clearer when I get back!

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Photos: Pexels, Unsplash

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