Dr. Noto’s message to students for this school year
By Allison Watling
This school year has been unlike any other. Instead of going to in-person school and seeing teachers, administrators, and classmates, school has been all virtual. There are a lot of aspects to this change, so I sat down (virtually, of course) with our principal, Dr. Noto, to see her view on the school year.
One of the most important things needed for this school year to work efficiently is internet access. Dr. Noto said that this was her most important concern about online learning. The issuing of student laptops has been extremely helpful for students because they have the technology that they need for this virtual environment. One issue is that many students have younger siblings that they need to help with their school day, which takes away from the student’s learning time for classes. It’s a situation that is hard to control, because it's hard to stay connected and talk to the students. Without staying connected, it's hard to tell if a student is having technology issues, or anything wrong at home in this environment.
Dr. Noto had said to me, “I definitely don’t feel as connected as I normally do,” speaking about her connections with students and teachers. It’s hard when she’s in the school office and all of the students are at home. Greeting students in the hallways was one of the most simple things a principal could do, and now it's been taken away. That small wave of a hand and a smile help to make a student feel connected with her. Without this simple interaction, it's hard being unable to get to know students or recognize their faces.
Being in a virtual environment, there are different responsibilities for everyone. “It’s a completely different job right now,” Dr. Noto said about her new responsibilities as the leader of our school. There are weekly updates given to her from higher school board officials, these updates including mostly changes for the school year.
Most importantly, Dr. Noto would like you, the students, to know that “This is not normal; it is going to get better.” We have adjusted to this environment by now, and although it is still fairly new, it will get better. This advice from our principal is not just about school, it's about this whole situation that is going on right now. Throughout this pandemic, we need to stay positive and find things to enjoy. “It’s not the worst thing ever,” Dr. Noto said, sharing her positive advice on this pandemic.
During these times, as we try and get through this pandemic, we need to know that it really is going to get better. Even though staying connected is the hardest thing to do this school year, we just have to work through it, because this is not normal at all. And remember Hornets, we are all strong and capable of success, no exceptions!
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