In the Meantime

INSIDE 6th Grade Trip

ISSUE 2

The middle school j our nalists will be documenting our exper iences under quar antine. We will be inter viewing classmates, parents, teacher s and other member s of our community as well as shar ing thoughts on our own exper iences.

Please enj oy these slices-of-life dur ing this weir d, challenging time. to write all of the things I could do. In my opinion, children or anyone any age that say they are bored, are not really. They just allow themselves to be bored.

This is the time where people have to be creative.

Daniella Arango Student: Paloma Deen, a sixth-grader at Miami Country Day School, is very frustrated that she can not see her friends. When she does get to see her friends, which is not very often at all, Paloma has to stay six feet apart from them. Paloma does not like that when she goes out of her house sometimes to get groceries, she has to wear gloves and masks.

Being in quarantine has made Paloma bored and miss her friends, too.

During virtual school, Paloma is looking at all her assignments and listening to what all of her teachers are instructing her to do. Quarantine and virtual school has really made a difference in Paloma's life because she is used to being busy, moving around, and doing sport activities.

Per sonal: Another week of quarantine passes, and all I could think of is, "When am I going back to my school campus?" When will this virus stop?" "Why don't we have any food left?" just keeps on making it's way back into the other billions of thoughts I have.

Even though the questions sounded so simple, no one could answer them yet.

Another day of quarantine went by like a second for me. I have been watching movies, baking/cooking, exercising, talking to my friends and family on the phone, jumping in the pool, going on the boat, playing games, solving puzzles, I can go on and on but it would take a lot of paper

Easter took a turn this year because I have never had this small amount of chocolate in any type of holiday I have celebrated. It was extremely sad how little chocolate there was in stores. A couple really good chocolate bars would have been nice but all the stores had was tiny chocolate eggs with nothing inside. After that disappointment of chocolate, me and my five year old brother made sugar cookies that were Easter themed. More and more of my family started to call and wish a happy Easter. Easter during COVID 19 was not terrible, but it was definitely different.

Parent: So much has changed in Francine Deen's daily routine during COVID 19. Mrs. Deen can no longer drive; she is having more meals at home; she washes her hands ten times more than usual; and she can not see her friends. Mrs. Deen is becoming more concerned about health and safety because of the virus.

Being in quarantine changed Mrs. Deen's family dynamic because they spend a lot more time together, which has been really nice for them. They have a lot more family time. Mrs. Deen's family has every meal together, which they didn't used to.

Getting used to virtual school changed a lot of the routine, too.

"I have learned that we are all vulnerable to many things and that we can't take anything for granted, not even a hug,? said Mrs. Deen. ?I learned that we all have to take care of each other because if one person is safe then we are all safe. I have learned to

appreciate everything that we have a lot more and I have also learned that I am a really social person and that I miss seeing my friends."

Teacher : COVID 19 has changed middle school teacher Michelle Holcman's normal routine in different ways. Something that Mrs. Holcman and her family like to do when they are in quarantine is looking at old vacation videos that they have not seen in a while. Looking at these memorable photos and videos is nice to go back and remember when Mrs. Holman's two sons were younger. Mrs. Holcman and her family also take a lot of walks together.

Quarantine might have changed Michelle Holcman's normal routine, but virtual teaching is not a stranger to Mrs. Holcman. She has virtually taught for seven years.

"This was kind of seamless for me, to transition from seeing you guys physically to seeing you guys virtually,? said Mrs. Holcman. ?However, I really miss standing outside my classroom door saying hello to everybody. I really miss making jokes with the people standing next to me at their lockers."

Mrs. Holcman has not had so much difficulty in planning classes and teaching. The hardest part for Mrs. Holcman has been not having that one on one with her students.

Mrs. Holcman said, "I learned that even those days when it is raining and you just want to stay home, I really took that for granted and I learned that next year when we are back in school, when I have one of those days to think back to one of those days when I couldn't go in and unfortunate."

Lucas Bacardi Shriftman Student: Asher Evans, a sixth grader from Miami Country Day School explained that to stay busy he is playing video games and socializing with friends. He said he is being with his Page family more often 12 and keeping them company. He is spending more time with his family. Asher is looking on the positive side of the quarantine and said he doesn't have to worry about school as much because the school work is less overwhelming, but it can be at times.. Asher is being very cautious about this pandemic. He is not leaving the property and is constantly washing his hands. ?To stay safe, I wash my hands, don't touch any metal, stay six feet away from people and I try to not go outside, except for exercise,? said Asher. ?When I go outside, I wear a mask and make sure

I'm more than six feet away from other people. It can be boring sometimes do that. To keep myself occupied I read, exercise, play video games, bake, do homework, and watch TV. When I get bored in the house I think of something else to do. For instance, I will search up recipes online and then cook them. This is something fun that lets time pass by and gives you time to spend with your family. The school work is a little more than usual, but we have more time to do it, so it is manageable.?

Parent: Alicia Thanasoulis, mother of sixth grader Alexia Peristeris, said she is staying occupied, continuing to work part-time as an attorney. When she is not working, she helps her son with virtual school and his homework, doing online workouts because they improve her mood, walking the dog four times per day, doing the laundry and re-organizing her closets. At night, she binge watches her favorite

Netflix series such as Money Heist and

Ozark.

She also said explained that to prevent her from getting the Coronavirus she is wearing a mask and gloves every time she goes out to a public place, wipes down all her groceries with Clorox wipes before she puts them in the refrigerator, washes her hands constantly, and avoids contact with anyone but her family. When she thinks on the bright side, she says, she is spending more time with my family, enjoying family bike rides and eating every meal together.

Maya Tafur Martinez Per sonal: It has been a long while since I have felt the fresh breeze blow onto my face and having the simple right of being able to step outside and socialize with people. At my dad?s house I?m able to have some freedom to step outside and absorb some sun in the pool or walk my dogs, but my mom?s where we live in a condominium. I simply miss just taking a stroll past the beautiful nature I am blessed to live nearby.

I also miss taking a nice swim at the beach or exercising in the gym in my condominium?s community, but all of that is not even an option.

So, what I do when I am at my mom?s is go to our balcony and try to take the best of the fresh air as much as I can in a balcony space.

I am very concerned about the virus spreading, especially for my family that lives out of the country. What I think people should do is just respect the concept of social distancing and wear gloves, masks, and bring hand sanitizer everywhere. I do love the idea of spending more time with my family though.

Even though my school work and hobbies/activities have been affected by the pandemic, there are still some pros to it just as much as cons. Some pros include nature taking a break from human contact such as pollution, spending more time with family, and realizing how grateful we should be for all the things we were able to do then. Some cons include the economy being affected, people getting ill, and less socializing with people out of your house.

Parent: Mrs. Carmen Bigles, a parent of seventh grader Caterina Serrano-Bigles, had a lot to say about the current situation. Mrs. Bigles said that the best way to prevent any more spreading of the virus is to maintain social distancing and to always wash your hands.

She also is very worried about the virus especially for the economy and people.

Mrs. Bigles really appreciates the extra time she gets with her family. ?It?s fantastic,? she said. ?I love being with the girls. I love being with my family.?

She added that by saying that she and her husband are very mindful of their cancer clinics, and they continue to treat their patients.

?This has been hectic," said Dr. Edgard Pierre, a doctor in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Hospital. They have turned the ICU into a COVID-19 unit. He and his colleges have to wear protective gear as soon as they walk into the hospital. They get their temperature checked before they walk in so that they don't infect other people if they have COVID-19.

"Only three people are allowed to go into a patient's room at a time because we are trying to protect everyone from getting the coronavirus,'' said Dr. Pierre.

If they allowed more medical staff into the room, the process would probably go much quicker, but it would be less safe. When the doctors want to have lunch they have to take all of their protective gear off and put on their regular clothes. The doctors go to a special area where no one else is allowed, so they can eat or have a break. ''Sometimes we have to put the patient on a ventilator," said Dr. Pierre.

The reason why the doctors have to put some of the patients on a ventilator is because COVID-19 attacks the lungs, making it hard to breathe. The doctors have to send a team dressed in their protective gear and set up for the patient. If a patient comes in that possibly has the coronavirus the doctors put them on a floor in the building that is just for those with the virus.

He thinks that by June 15, the young and healthy

Teacher : Mrs. Karin Davis, a middle school math teacher, makes an effort to read the news every day. ?When I read the papers every day, I am shocked by how many people are affected and have lost their lives due to this virus,? she said. ?It is very sad to think about families who have to face the loss of their loved ones. I think it is also said that our children are missing out on many of their milestones. Especially the seniors.?

Mrs. Bigles also mentioned how the pandemic has affected her family in the sense that they don?t have the freedom to go outside anymore. Her family loves to watch Netflix together and binge watch movies. Lastly, Mrs. Bigles said that the pros of this situation are for sure being united as a family, but also having a ?united conscious,? as she states in the sense that everyone is being mindful of themselves just as for others.

She also stated that the bigger issue is preventing the virus to spread, and as a community we should all remain isolated.

Student:

Mrs. Davis stated that at first her hobby of working was affected until she started to just do workouts at home. She also mentioned that her creative side of her has helped her build new hobbies and activities to do.

Caterina Serrano-Bigles, a student in the seventh grade, says that her concerns and worries about the virus are people who are in the older age range are more likely to get it. She is also worried about her family in Puerto Rico, especially since it is a small island so it is more likely that the virus spreads more rapidly.

Caterina also loves being with her family all day.

She said, ?I like it a lot because we actually communicate now.?

Some of the hobbies Caterina does are now affected by the pandemic. She complained, ?I can?t go anymore to my dance classes or singing lessons or do much of my hobbies as much as I would normally do.?

What Cat likes to do now in her free time is read books, talk with friends, and be with her family.

Some of the pros and cons related to this event that she thinks are for pros spend more time with family and stay at home and for cons are trying to work

Angelina Belin Doctor :

out the online school and not being able to socialize outside of her home.

will go back to work.

Everyone hopes that by then there will no longer be a

quarantine.

Per sonal: I think this has been going way too long, and I wish it would stop. The coronavirus has taken over our lives and the lives of others. My first week of online school went pretty well, although I had a lot of homework. I think that online school is a cool experience, but I would never like to have an experience like quarantine again. I feel like I am in prison and the only time that I can get out of my house and backyard is when I go running, grocery shopping, or when I have to walk the dog.

I think it is so boring not being able to go out with my friends or go to school.

I also don?t think this is going to be over in three weeks. I think this will last at least until June. I have a friend that works in the ICU, and he even said he doesn't think that this will be over until June. I hope everyone will stay inside and be careful of their surroundings and what they touch.

Student: "I would rather be at school because I get to see my friends, and it's easier to learn when you are in a classroom,? said Sophia Gritsch, a sixth-grader at Miami Country Day. ?Being at school is a way better way for kids to learn instead of being at home and having school online. The kids can focus better at school because there are no distractions when you are at school but if you are at home there could be things around you like a phone or a pet.?

Mrs. Davis thinks that spending time with her family is amazing and that she loves being with them. ?We have always been a very close family and love spending time together,? she explained. ?Now we just do it more often. The kitchen has become a major hub of activity.?

She is taking advantage of her free time. ?In the beginning, I did a lot of spring cleaning and decluttering the house,? she said. ?It really felt good to tidy up! I spend a lot of time planning my online lessons. I want my students to get the best learning online and to enjoy the lessons. I think it is such a privilege that we have the internet to continue with school. If this had happened 10 years ago, we would be in a completely different situation.?

Finally, Mrs. Davis states the pros and cons of the situation including for cons loss of life, missed milestones, sense of the loss of freedom, fear of not knowing when this will be over. And or pros she states that nature seems to be restoring itself and wildlife is getting back on its feet.

She explained that during online school, even though it looks like a student is paying attention they could be drawing or doing something else.

"I go bike riding every day," said Sophia Gritsch.

Kids and adults should try and do some activities at home or workout. There are many things online that people follow. "In the end I want this to be over so I can go to school and see my friends."

Teacher : "The thing that I miss most about being able to go to school is seeing all of the kid's faces and interacting with them face to face," said Mrs. Kelly Brill, a Middle School teacher at Miami Country Day School. ?Being online and talking with a teacher is half as great as talking with a teacher in person. Seeing everyone and saying hi to people online is partly meaning full as saying hi to people in person.

She said that coronavirus has taken away everybody's chance to interact with each other. It has taken away our chance to learn in person.

She said, "When we have school I try to keep a routine, like right when I get up go grab my coffee and then take a shower."

Keeping a good routine every day is very good.

Everybody should keep in shape during this time because you never know how long this is going to last. Mrs. Brill goes running and does cardio workouts.

"I've been working a lot and been trying to keep busy,? said Mr.Brill. Keeping busy is important at this time because there is so much time on our hands that everybody should try and find a new hobby that they like.

"I just hope this ends as soon as possible and when it does end I will be happy to see your faces again."

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Alex Pool Teacher : French teacher, Lara Oehlert, has taught online classes before, so adjusting was a little easier for her. ?You have to be much more planned out and it involves more work before class,? said Ms. Oehlert. ?You have to make sure everything works, the technology is there, and the homework is posted.?

Since the teachers only had one class a week to start, they had to make sure everything is planned.

But, now teachers see classes twice a week, which will give students more time in each class. Before online school, Ms. Oehlert didn't like students on their computer in case they were looking things up.

The work she gives in and out of class is work that takes more creativity and thinking, work that can't just be looked up.

Outside of online school, Ms. Oehlert has done a lot of reading, fostering kittens, going for long walks, doing yoga, and skyping her friends from around the world. ?During this whole thing, I think it is very easy to get negative and to start worrying,? explained Ms.

Oehlert. ?One thing that has been really great is looking up positive news stories of people helping each other and focusing on all the good out there.?

He also thinks that online school is a great opportunity for the students to get comfortable with staying focused and engaged when working online.

It is a great skill to learn.

Per sonal:

In the free time he has, he has done early morning 2-mile runs and worked with the family on house projects. He misses interacting with others in person. It is hard to go a while without seeing the people you usually see everyday. But overall, he is happy to be able to spend this time with his family and to have that opportunity which may not come again soon.

During this time, school work has kept me very busy and not bored. It feels almost like a normal school day. I start homework around 9:00, because I like doing my homework in the morning. Then I have my classes and after I do more homework. I usually end around 2:30, but now with the extra class every week, I will end later.

When I am done, I try to be active after sitting in my room the whole day. Online school is not as rigorously challenging, but adjusting to the online school is. I have gotten better at it, and by next week, I will probably be fully adjusted. I like being able to spend more time with my family, because before this I couldn't. Overall, adjusting takes awhile but I have been able to do it.

Parent: Ricardo Tafur, the father of 7th grader Maya Tafur, said he has adjusted well to his new daily routine.

The routine includes a good work schedule and overall day schedule.

He said, ?I love the fact that I don't have to travel overseas every other week.?

Broghan Muhlig Per sonal: Going into the quarantine, I did not feel that it would be much of a burden, and I thought it wouldn?t affect me as much as others.

But now, I?m starting to feel the isolation. I miss seeing all my friends, and I miss seeing people in general. I feel as if I had taken the little moments of human interaction for granted. I never thought I would miss walking down a hallway full of students my age. All that has been going through my mind is what I want to do when the quarantine is over, and it is creating a feeling of false hope.

But I have been trying to stay positive, and I have called my friends more than I ever had.

I have decided to finally watch Spongebob in order, which I have been wanting to do. I also have been listening to the SuperMegaCast a lot more recently, and I?m very thankful I have the time to catch up.

The podcast is between Matt Watson and Ryan Magee, one of my favorite internet icons. They run a YouTube channel, called SuperMega, which I I have grown fond of. I love their personalities.

quarantine, their friendly conversation comforts me. Their podcast makes me feel included and puts a smile on my face. Every joke they make, every laugh Ryan has, every time they get so interested in a topic or movie, it makes me feel good. I have been trying to find time to listen to these podcasts, and what a perfect time it is to be listening.

Sometimes, you don?t notice what you?re missing till it?s gone. It?s like when we were at school, we all didn?t enjoy waking up every morning, getting dressed, and driving to school.

But now, I?ve definitely noticed that I miss it. I miss having lunch with my friends and buying cookies during break. An advantage of having online school is that I do get to sleep in longer and have a more flexible schedule. I?ve also been very relaxed and do my homework in bed all day. That?s definitely something I like about online school.

Teacher : Brooke Ehinger, the Middle School Guidance Counselor, said her work has changed significantly because of this pandemic. She said that she has learned to be more organized and diligent in getting

Eight grader Mikaela Tolles has had a harder time adjusting to online school because she isn't getting as much help as she gets in person at school. She adds, ?It is a completely different way of learning and I get distracted easily.?

She has kept herself busy by biking a lot, baking, and drawing. The thing she misses the most is seeing her friends and just interacting with people outside. Since she can?t see her friends, she has found different ways to talk to them such as Facetime and texting.

The first thing she wants to do when corona is gone is to ?see all my friends and teachers in school and hang out with friends outside of school.?

and then goes on his computer until school begins.

After school, he eats lunch and then goes outside to jog with his parents. After jogging, he plays on his computer a little more until dinner is ready. After dinner, he exercises his upper body with his father.

Then he goes back on his computer until he goes to bed. Nick also says that some days he plays board games with his parents. The things Nicholas misses most are seeing and talking with his friends at school. He sometimes calls them, but he misses hanging out with them after school.

Parent:

Teacher : Teresa Alfonso is an orchestra teacher at Miami Country Day. She has spent a lot of time researching distant learning and distant teaching.

Practicing with an orchestra online is very hard.

Ms. Alfonso says that she misses seeing her students every morning and practicing live with the whole orchestra in one place. Even though the virus has limited her from practicing live, she can still see her students during some mornings. In fact, she says it is her favorite part of the day.

Student: Nicholas Korff, an 8th-grade student, starts his day by waking up a little later. Then he eats breakfast

Chloe Shapiro Per sonal:

During this

Student:

things done.

Trying to keep busy during quarantine, Mrs. Ehinger said, ?I?ve been working a lot, cleaning, exercising, I live on the beach so I have a nice little trail overlooking the water. I?ve also started to talk with my family a lot more than usual.?

Ms. Ehinger also said that she has had less work currently because of quarantine.

Student: Sixth Grader, Natalia Fernandez, said that online school has been kinda hard because our teachers knew we would have a lot of free time and because of that they give us a lot of homework, but they don?t realize that we also want to spend this break relaxing from all our schoolwork. She also said that our workload is enough.

She also said, ?I really enjoy that school starts later because I get to sleep in and chill out. I also prefer

Lydia Korff, mother of 8th grader Nicholas Korff, says that, since she works at home, she has been spending a lot more time working. She says that some days she works for maybe ten hours on some days. She says that now being in quarantine, she spends a lot more time cooking for Nick. From breakfast to snacks to lunches to dinners, she does it all. She makes sure Nick is up and ready for online classes, but she also lets him sleep in a little later now. Mrs. Korff does many fun activities with her family, and they also exercise together by going on jogs. The thing she misses most would be the ability to interact with friends and family. While it is disappointing, she is very thankful to be with her husband and her son. online school, because you can be more comfortable and relaxed all day.?

Parent: Ricardo Tafur, a Middle School parent, said he worries about the coronavirus plenty. He said that lots of his worries go towards the well-being of his family.

He said, ?My other concern is the economy as we had millions of people applied to unemployed benefits, and without options to earn a salary to cover for expenses such as food.?

Ricardo said that a pro of this quarantine is that he can spend time with family, can develop new healthy routines, and can spend time at home. He said some cons are that he misses going to restaurants and wants to see people.

He also said, ?I have been making the most/best of the workroom home situation by developing daily routines such as establishing a work schedule including meal breaks.?