High school transitions get new twist; family discusses challenges

DeKalb County School District (DCSD) started the 2020-21 school year with virtual learning days to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Not having in-person classes is putting some students in unfamiliar territories.

Like most freshmen, Sophia Hooks—a student at Lakeside High School—is having an unusual start to her years in high school due to the ongoing pandemic.

“I definitely have mixed feelings about [virtual learning],” said Hooks. “The different platforms they use for school can be confusing, and teachers and students aren’t used to being online this much, so there are a lot of miscommunications. It’s also really nice being at home and being able to lie in bed and do your schoolwork.”

Hooks and her mother—Sonya Tinsley-Hooks, who said she has been active on parent teacher organizations for several years—said they’re having productive days, but the pandemic has added a twist to many things.

“It’s a lot of time at home,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “She’s a freshman at Lakeside, but it’s hard to feel like a real freshman at this point, without going in the building.”

Some parts of the school day remain the same. Hooks and Tinsley-Hooks said school days start at 8:45 a.m. and have specified time slots for classes, break periods and extracurricular time.

Hooks said learning from home rather than in a classroom impacts the day.

“It probably makes it worse if I’m comfortable, because I can lie down and nap,” said Hooks. “The environment at school is really positive and helps you get your work done.”

Hooks said she completes all her schoolwork—with an occasional nap—but she said she misses the face-to-face interactions and seeing her classmates every day.

“It’s definitely been disappointing,” said Hooks. “With the platform our school uses, we can’t see any of our classmates, so I can only see the teacher. I feel like the students are a big part of the community at school.”

Despite not meeting in person, Hooks said she participates in extracurricular activities that give her a chance to interact with more students. She also swims competitively and has in-person practices before her school days start.

“There are people involved in extracurriculars, so I’m able to speak to them. They’re having the same experience, so I can talk to them about that,” said Hooks.

Students might not be spending as much time together, but many parents and students are. Tinsley-Hooks said being closer to her daughter and her schoolwork made the beginning of the school year more exciting.

“When they’re in elementary school, you get to go in and be a parent reader or help with lunch duty,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “One thing that was kind of cool was being able to overhear her teachers and how they’re talking to students. I was really touched by how kind some of them sounded and how levelheaded they presented the situation to the students.”

Tinsley-Hooks also said students being left behind due to virtual learning is a problem the community needs to work on together.

“I know another important issue is students getting left behind, especially those who don’t have a comfortable learning place,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “That means an extra effort to do whatever it takes to get kids in a good place or caught up. We have to be committed to that as a community.”

One possible solution could be offering traditional learning.

At a Sept. 15 reopening discussion, DCSD officials discussed the possibility of taking steps in October and November to offer traditional learning and in-person classes depending on how COVID-19 numbers rise or fall.

Hooks said the time away from her classmates is making traditional learning an exciting possibility.

“At first, I was nervous to go back in person because I felt like it would be dangerous being around so many students,” said Hooks. “After being online and being inside so much I’m looking forward to potentially being in person a few days a week, because I do miss school and people and that experience.”

Tinsley-Hooks said she doesn’t want to see the district rush the decision.

“I see how [hybrid classes] are going to be a good thing once we are ready as a community,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “I’m not ready for us moving forward with anything that sabotages the larger effort to control the virus in our community.”

Tinsley-Hooks said remembering how many people it takes to operate a school—and not just thinking about the students—is important.

“There’s such a large village and a team of people it takes to keep a school going and so many of those folks are older or in at-risk populations,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “We have to make sure everyone feels safe.”

In the meantime, Tinsley-Hooks said she and her family are adapting as best they can.

“We’re just in a period where nothing is like it was,” said Tinsley-Hooks. “We encourage her to do things like meet friends who are in her bubble for walks and to use things like Zoom as much as possible.”