The girls have been in school for a month this week and I’m finally getting around to sharing my thoughts on how things are going. Much like everyone else, our district made so many changes in the days and weeks leading up to our first day. We had a “road map” and potential scenarios, but it was hard to know exactly what school would look like until it actually arrived.
Our district started the year with a staggered schedule, meaning half of the student body has in-person classes on Monday/Tuesday and the remaining students attend class on Thursday/Friday. The girls weren’t thrilled about missing out on half of their friends, but they have enjoyed getting a few extra days at home. Despite attending class in person, they are still mostly doing virtual activities — all of their work is completed on the computer so that they can easily transition back and forth. There has been a bit of a learning curve, but we’re surviving and trying not to complain too much.
We were thrilled to hear that we will be attending five days a week, starting Monday. I’m trying hard not to overthink the implications of a full campus and instead enjoy the opportunity for them to have some normalcy in their lives. It will be another big adjustment for us all, as we shift schedules and I adapt to not having an extra help at home on my work days.
I sat down with Sophie after the first few days of school and we went through our normal list of back to school questions. Of course, we had to add a few pandemic related versions, but it’s pretty similar to year’s past otherwise. After her first baton practice yesterday, I asked her a little more about how things were going and it was so fun to hear her comments. She said she really liked that no one was allowed to touch her and that no supplies were shared. She also really likes that each student has their own Chromebook, so she doesn’t have to log in and out. The downsides are obviously distance from friends and the lack of collaborative work. She misses regular lunch periods and recess, but I have faith that those will resume one day, too.
1. What is your favorite color? periwinkle
2. What is your favorite television show? LOST (we’ve been watching this as a family)
2a. What are you currently watching? LOST, The Wonder Years, and The Next Step
2b. What is your favorite movie? Napoleon Dynamite
3. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? scrambled eggs and biscuits
4. What is your favorite meal? tomato soup and crackers (This is a new discovery — she’s been eating a vegetarian diet since late May and we’re still learning what she will and won’t eat!)
5. What is your favorite fruit? bananas
6. What is your favorite snack? applesauce and mozzarella cheese
7. What is your favorite drink? water and chocolate milk
8. What is your favorite outfit? a new striped t-shirt and denim cutoffs
8a. Do you have a favorite mask? tie-dye or camouflage one
9. What is your favorite game to play? Uno
10. What is your favorite animal? puppies
11. What is your favorite song? Exile by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver
12. What is your favorite book? Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
13. Who is your best friend (group)? Baylee, Kiley, Alexis & Amanda
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? swim
15. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday
16. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? her blanket Panda
17. What is your favorite recent memory? finding out we would be out of school for quarantine
18. What do you want to be when you grow up? be an HGTV host and renovate houses
19. Name three words to describe you: trustworthy, kind, smart
20. Name something you want to do this year: learn to do a round off
21. If you could travel anywhere this year, where would it be? Hawaii to visit her cousin, Kalli (unfortunately this is a pipe dream, since travel doesn’t look likely in the immediate future)
22. If you could change your name, what would it be? Rose
23. If you had one wish, what would it be? for everyone in the world to have a home
24. Were you excited to go back to school this year? it’s half and half — she was nervous about who would be in her class (because of the virtual option) and who her homeroom teacher would be, but she was very excited about seeing her friends
25. What is something different about school this year? social distancing, masks, and having to use hand-sanitizer every time we change rooms
26. What is something you’re enjoying about school this year? smaller class sizes
I will be interviewing the girls on their first day of school each year for as long as they will let me. I can’t wait to see what a difference a year (or two) makes in their answers! You can see Sophie’s previous interviews here: 2012| 2013| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019
