The impact of COVID-19 on the school

BY LISBETH ARRIETA AND GREGOIRE WINSTON, STAFF WRITERS

When picturing the end of the school year, students often imagine celebrations of their accomplishments, not an international quarantine period amid a pandemic that puts the lives of billions at risk. With nearly four million confrmed cases of COVID-19— commonly known as the coronavirus— in the United States, this pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of daily life. Many institutions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have advised the public to take precautionary measures by staying at home, practicing social distancing and maintaining good hygiene. For this reason, all schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) have been close since March 16 and will continue to remain closed through the end of the school year. The student body, faculty and staff are forced to explore unfamiliar grounds as the pandemic has made daily life anything but ordinary. To determine the impact COVID-19 has on the school's community highlights shares the narratives of those most impacted by the virus.

Impact on Testing

State-wide testing

At a press conference on March 17, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the cancellation of both End-of-Course (EOC) exams and Florida Standardized Assessments (FSA) for this academic year. Instead of these state-administered tests, the Florida Department of Education will evaluate fnal course grades. Students will receive the grade they have earned based on coursework.

“I was supposed to take the biology, reading and writing FSAs and the Geometry EOC. Honestly, I’m terrifed. Since they decided to cancel the tests I’m scared that they are going to postpone it until next year,” freshman Katherine Martinez said.

International Baccalaureate Testing

On March 23, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization announced that the May 2020 examinations will no longer be held, devastating hundreds of juniors and seniors within the school’s program. The new scoring system will be calculated using the relationship between coursework, predicted grades and subject grades according to IB International.

“I have complete faith that our teachers did everything they could to make sure students have every opportunity to correct and polish their [Internal Assessments] before their fnal submissions,” IB coordinator Diana Van Wyk said.

With no examinations being held, some students worry about how they will be able to afford college. For students committed to in-state universities, earning their IB diploma means they qualify for the highest level of the Bright Futures scholarship towards their education. Without any remaining control on their test scores, students are left with uncertainty.

“I was depending on paying for my college education with the Bright Futures scholarship. Now, I am worried about how I will be able to pay for college,” senior Ketty Dones said.

Advanced Placement Testing

For the first time in history, Advanced Placement (AP) testing will be held as open-note exams and administered online. The exams, scheduled to begin on May 11, thus test new academic skills that leave many students anxious about their scores. With just one free-response segment for each exam, there is little room to mess up.

“I already stressed myself out through the year about how scary the test will be and now it doesn’t seem as daunting,” freshman Allan Kaplan said. “I have mixed feelings about the changes. Despite the fact that it’s much shorter. I dislike that the entirety of the grade is in one document-based question. I would’ve preferred an LEQ or multiple choice questions.”

Due to current circumstances, the College Board has been providing students with free, real-time AP review sessions, hosted by AP teachers across the nation. The purpose of these sessions are to help students to cover the remaining topics of their respective AP classes.

“I personally like [the videos]...they pretty much go by the curriculum so it’s not far from what I learned when we’re in class,” sophomore Karla Martinez said. “I learn a lot from the 40-minute videos and the information is covered well.”

Impact on Staff

Following the school closure due to COVID-19, teachers have been forced to signifcantly adjust their teaching methods. Instead, their new realities entail digital schooling platforms, virtual instruction methods and packed email inboxes.

All teachers are required to have an online platform where their students can access their coursework and other educational information. However, some teachers are facing challenges learning how to transform their classrooms digitally.

Online class platforms such as Edmodo, Google Classroom and Zoom have been useful tools for a certain degree of connectivity with their students. Nonetheless, many miss the social interaction of the traditional classroom, as they are more diffcult to recreate in a distance-learning setting.

“I miss interacting with the students. Every single one has just so much character. The student body is, hands down, the best part of the job,” history teacher Oscar De Armas said.

With face-to-face interactions impossible, some teachers worry about the motivation their students have on a daily basis.

“I am saying this from seeing my son and his struggles and can only imagine high school students are stressed as well. For those who learn on their own this is fne, but for visual learners and those who need guidance, I know this is a struggle,” reading teacher Yvette Camacho said. “I think the biggest problem is the students losing motivation.”

In addition to virtual classes, some teachers have opted to prerecord lessons and post them on sites like YouTube, to accomodate for students who face diffcult circumstances. This has also been a favorable teaching method for teachers with young children because they are able to ensure less interruptions.

“It’s hard for kids to adapt and so I don’t see that they are being very effcient but I am sure it will get better the longer we have online school,” NAF lead teacher Natasha Lopez said.

Impact on Sports

There will not be a home run for the school’s baseball team or any other spring-session sport this school year given the COVID-19 restrictions. With baseball, softball, track and feld, tennis and many other sporting events and competitions being cancelled, Cavalier athletes are unable to showcase their talents.

Among the extensive list of cancelled events is the annual Gablette Revue showcase presented by the school’s award-winning dance team. The event that was scheduled to take place on April 22 and 23, was one that many senior members looked forward to, as they worked tirelessly to make some fnal memories with their teammates.

“I am the most upset about the Gablette Revue, because it was the last chance to see the seniors. It’s a really sad ending to the year; it was what we were all waiting for,” junior Gablette Gabby D’arcangelo said.

Nonetheless, the Gablettes still hold daily practices to stay in shape and focus on future goals. Using time-lapse videos, members of the team record their workouts and conditioning regimens. Similarly, the cheerleading team uses Zoom to verbally interact as they practice their routines.

“Cheerleading is a very physical sport so it’s really weird practicing at home but we’re making the best of it,” junior Jasmine Morales said. “We have weekly workouts Monday through Friday, usually targeting specifc muscles.We also do yoga in order to relax and strengthen our fexibility.”

Further, many students rely on sports to help them fund their college educations. With high hopes, some Cavalier athletes work towards attaining scholarships that could serve as a bridge to an athletic career.

“While this season stopped us from playing, I still work out everyday, go to the school to kick and make sure I am ready for FIU. I hope this all blows over before June so I can move on to the campus and start my journey at FIU,” senior baseball player Matthew Enriquez said.