On January 25, Upper School students switched their mindset to a new quarter under this year’s special schedule. The transition that used to occur between the two semesters brings even more challenges to students, because many of them are returning to classes that they had in the first quarter.
Out of social distancing considerations, the school split the 2020-2021 school year into four quarters. The year-long classes are also split into two portions in order to accommodate this schedule. As a result, many students have to go back to a class that they have not had in the past three months.
“It’s harder for me,” Sixth Former Baoer Li said, “to pick up the materials that we learned in the first quarter.”
Li is currently enrolled in Mr. Stephen Patrylak’s Statistics* class, one of the Sixth Form electives that are considered the hardest among the courses provided by the math department. Some of his classmates feel the same.
“I had to look a little to review by myself… as external time besides just class time reviewing, ” Sixth Former Morgan Shatzman said. “I was reviewing the notes from all the previous chapters.”
When students struggle with this type of class, teacher-led reviewing can help significantly.
Shatzman said, “We went through new information using old information… I thought that was interesting.”
Although students have experienced difficulty from the transition, some students felt less affected and adapted well to a different type of learning.
“It wasn’t that hard for me. I didn’t spend much time outside class,” said Sixth Former Xiaolong Huang. “But I think the reviewing in the classes was definitely helpful.”
“Honestly, I should have been doing Chinese and math. Language, writing, and math, I think, are the three pieces that should be year-long.”
Sixth Former Kieran dias-lalcaca
The new schedule brings disadvantages in learning, but students expressed their support for the school’s decision on this issue during the unprecedented pandemic issue.
“Honestly, I should have been doing Chinese and math. Language, writing, and math, I think, are the three pieces that should be year-long,” Sixth Former Kieran Dias-Lalcaca said. “But in a pandemic situation, without question, I think this is the better situation.”
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