Nobody can deny it – the past year or so has been a rough one. Not only for our students here at MoN, but our parents and staff trying to adjust to this new way of life. Distance learners are disconnected from school interactions, parents with a lot to handle are struggling to keep track of changes, and even our teachers have problems communicating assignments and testing material. Our faith is stretched thin also, with many lacking the ability to go to Church every Sunday like we used to. We have lost those we know and must distance from our relatives and extended family. Some of us haven’t made contact with them in years. Looking back, it is extremely hard to see anything positive coming out of COVID-19.
However, our middle school students beg to differ. With over one hundred and forty replies, our students have come up with all of the good they found in this bad situation. Many have realized how important spending time with family is, and how they now had the time to do so during quarantine. Some reflected upon the beauty and worth of nature, planting gardens, and going for bike rides. Overall, the general consensus among the student body seems to be exploring new hobbies and developing current ones. Our personal interests are a huge part of our daily lives and who we are, and with all the time we have had to spend, going deeper into them is a no-brainer.
Students have found delight in cooking and baking, others perfecting sports techniques and even collaborating with friends. Some have made newfound friends in pets, and some have made new friends with other peers. In a broad sense, many middle schoolers see “positive” in the way COVID has affected the whole world – pollution from fossil fuels has gone down, sanitization is now a mandatory part of our lives, and the vaccines are slowly becoming more accessible. In truth, those are some of the best things we can hope for as a whole. But what really makes the MoN community special is how we all have our own personal opinion of what we call positivity. The small things that make up our day, that one time we felt really at peace: this what we look for in the present moment. This is what grounds us to push through everything life throws at us, especially during the pandemic. This is what makes us a family, encouraging each other to strive and to grow and to persevere. This is what makes us Mary of Nazareth.
Ella Phommachanh, 8th grade