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Class of 2020, this month is in honor of you.

The effects of this Coronavirus pandemic have hit you hard. You have had to deal with abrupt goodbyes, school on Zoom, no prom, no sports, virtual graduation. College? Job? Life is so uncertain right now and yet you are dealing with it, most of you with grace and grit and maturity far beyond your years. Our hat is off to you!

All parents want to help & protect their children, but most don’t know how to initiate serious conversations with them. Our deceptively simple new book makes it easy to open conversations about some "hard to start" subjects. The glimpse into the diaries of real kids leads to discussion openers about topics such as stress, illness and loss, family problems, school, racial discrimination, violence, teasing, bullying, body image, sexuality, rape, pregnancy, drugs, and most importantly, concerns about what the future might hold. A way to open conversations about important subjects is to discuss topics such as the ones that are brought up in the writings below.

All writings this month were submitted by members of the Class of 2020, students, a teacher, a parent, and a high school principal.

Because of Corvid 19...

Not being able to experience a traditional end to my senior year of high school has been disappointing, to say the least. As a second semester senior, I was ready to sit back and enjoy my last few months of high school. I had planned to fly to Washington for my Grandma’s 80th birthday celebration, show off my photos in my school’s senior art exhibition, coach my SILC kids through their upcoming AP exams, and publish my last few issues of the school paper. And of course, I was also looking forward to some of the quintessential senior traditions: May Day, senior ditch day, prom, and best of all, graduation.

A teacher’s reflections on the pandemic

What our students need now is encouragement to imagine themselves on the other side of the pandemic. They need a way to see this time as an opportunity to build a muscle for resilience, inner strength and self-confidence, qualities that will serve them for the rest of their lives. During this unprecedented time they have met some huge obstacles and have experienced major disappointments. This is the sad reality. But life is about change and learning to meet change with flexibility and imagination is the potential gift of living in this moment. Like it or not, this unprecedented time is woven into the tapestries of our students’ lives. Our task is to help them see that within that tapestry is an inspiring pattern of courage and steadfastness that will make them capable of meeting any challenge in the future

Carol Triggiano, B.A
Teacher, Grade 8
Chicago Waldorf School
www.chicagowaldorf.org

Perplexity due to proximity

Am I far from the people I am closest to? They say you are the average of the five closest people you surround yourself with. But now is a time when it is compulsory to spend the most time with your family -- you leave one room and see them in the next; you leave the dinner table and settle next to them on the couch. Do I see myself becoming more like them? Should I become more like them?

With all this time, who do I want to be, and how am I learning from you [parent] to be who I want to be?

Being a senior in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic

Being a senior in high school during the COVID-19 pandemic has been life changing. Yes, it was disappointing to miss out on senior prom, a normal graduation, and closure to the school year. However, I don’t believe it was all bad. I began to interact with people in different ways. My friends and I have gone on walks... yes, actual walks, which is something I don’t think I ever would have done otherwise. My family has been playing more card games, gone on more bike rides, and watched a lot more movies. These simple everyday experiences have lifted my spirits and made me smile. It is still important to connect with those you care about, whether that be by a FaceTime call, watching a movie over zoom together, or having a social distance lunch. Make those simple life activities the reason why you smile during these hard times.

The end of senior year

has definitely been anticlimactic. It has felt very strange that the last day of high school was Zoom classes at home, and we couldn’t say our goodbyes in person. Without prom and graduation, the last few months of senior year didn’t feel as exciting as promised. It has been tough adjusting to the new circumstances, but I am just thankful that my family and friends are safe.

And the extra free time from everything being cancelled has allowed me to focus on my projects.

My dad.

No words.

Class of 2020, this month is in honor of you.

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