Lawrence Lately

Perseverance is the key to thriving in quarantine

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These past few weeks have been a bit jarring, to say the least. As a result of the coronavirus health crisis that has touched much of the world, many schools and school districts, including Lawrence have been closed in an attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease. After days of inactivity as teachers and administrators did their best to adjust to the new setup, students officially started the distance learning curriculum this week.

Fortunately, there are many online resources for teachers and students to use in order to help this process go smoothly. Lawrence is partnering with iTutor to continue preparing its students for upcoming exams. Its interface allows teachers to host live lessons for students, providing a way to experience the classroom environment remotely. In addition, many teachers will be using Google Classroom and Remind to send assignments, communicate with students, and keep classes informed about the current situation, which is constantly changing.

The College Board website, which students and teachers had already been using throughout the year to prepare for Advanced Placement exams, has become even more important as the format for the AP tests is being altered to address current needs. Teachers can assign work straight from the curators of the exam and can even direct students to AP courses on YouTube to aid them in their studies. Though our current setup is not the classroom learning we are used to, Lawrence is doing its best to ensure that its students are receiving the same quality of education while also staying safe at home.

As for non-academic activities, the students have been learning just how much they have taken for granted in their regular routines. Although it is a little difficult to go days or weeks without seeing friends (or even leaving the house), Lawrence High School students are making the best of an otherwise bleak situation. The availability of the internet makes it that much easier to communicate with friends on a regular basis, so students have been able to avoid complete social isolation.

Many students have been using the free time to indulge hobbies, catch up on shows and other activities that they may have had to push to the side in order to focus on schoolwork. Overall, students are managing to find this cloud’s silver lining in their own ways.

Our current situation is far from relaxing. We have been forced to make radical changes in our day to day lives in order to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from the current epidemic, and admittedly it’s a bit difficult. However, the Lawrence community is still able to work under these conditions through the combined efforts of hardworking faculty members and patient students.

Though there is currently no end in sight, we will inevitably come out of this ordeal stronger than ever. Much like the dandelions that sprout from cracks in the sidewalk, Lawrence students, teachers and administrators are still thriving in this less than ideal situation in the only way they know how: perseverance.