By Erica Edman ‘21, Editor-in-Chief

After six months of remote learning and social isolation, we have finally returned to normalcy… ish. Instead of being welcomed by a teacher at the door, we’re greeted by a robot scanning our temperature. Our definition of a classroom has taken on a completely new life as we try to take derivatives while sitting in the wrestling gym. And Ms. Galvin’s never-ending battle to get backpacks out of the L has been overtaken by a far greater challenge: maintaining social distancing. As we trudge through this insane period of history, I feel it’s important to continually reflect on the state of our community and begin to explore how COVID has allowed Newark Academy to evolve.

COVID has forced us to adjust our former version of normal. However, the pressure to find creative solutions has also led to innovation that will improve NA for years to come. The shortened class times and the added complication of virtual learning have reduced the amount of time students can spend actually learning. However, Mr. Rezvani believes that this challenge has allowed for more inventive and effective ways of learning and made teachers “more intentional with their time”. He claims that our new circumstances have shifted the school’s teaching philosophy to a “quality over quantity” and “less is more” style of learning which can last beyond the end of COVID. 

Dr. DiBianca says that the school’s prioritization of health and safety caused NA to think beyond the preconceived notion of what a high school experience can be. One main change that we’ve seen is students’ ability to come and go during the school day if they have a first or last period free. This change has allowed the students to feel a greater sense of freedom, and has reinvented our definition of a “school day”. 

Another dramatic change that we’ve seen as a result of COVID is our transition to new spaces for classes, eating, studying, or talking with friends. Although this adjustment seems very different from the norm at NA, our community is now utilizing our outdoor space more than ever before. Additionally, students are now able to talk to people in the community to whom they have never spoken before as we’ve removed all of our previously grade-segregated spaces. 

Although there are more devastating aspects of COVID than I can even count, this unprecedented time has also allowed our community to grow and improve in ways that we never would have expected. Even though it may feel tempting to dwell on all the bad, I encourage you to reflect and think about the good that has come out of these past six months, and how your own life has evolved and changed because of COVID.