VIDEO: What does Shalhevet think about being back in person?

Evan Beller, Jacob Hoenig, and Eli Weiss

By Joshua Gamson

When the school year ended for the Shalhevet senior class, so did online learning for everyone.

Seniors’ last day of school was April 30, so as of Monday May. 3, all ninth-, 10th-, and 11th-graders started meeting on campus every day, instead of a shifting pattern of two or three days a week.  Zooming in to class was allowed only with permission in advance.

Reaction was mostly favorable from both students and teachers.

Sophomore Daniel Kunin said being in person is less stressful than Zoom school. 

“I’m still getting used to the fact that I don’t I come every day,” said Daniel. “I still think like, oh I’m not here on Tuesdays or I’m not here on Thursdays. At Zoom it’s just you’re facing the computer and that’s pretty much it, and at school like you’re with your friends. You get to socialize with your teachers. At home it’s pretty much only school and that’s it.”

Eleventh-grader Jake Weinberg was also taking it in stride.

“The worst part is that I can’t take any classes at home anymore — even if I wanted to I have to come to school everyday,” Jake said. “But the best part is I come to school everyday.”

Freshman Amalia Zucker it’s a definite transition, but with many up-sides.

“It’s a lot easier to focus — it’s a lot simpler when it’s all in one place,” said Amalia.

And sophomore Batsheva Glaser said, “It’s like good to get out of the house,” Batsheva said. “I like it.”

Junior Josh Weissman is still attending Zoom school, but said he’s been looking forward to coming in person once he’s fully vaccinated. Classes online, he said, can be both good and bad.

“Some classes the teacher is very good at being inclusive, and some classes the teachers forget to start the Zoom,” said Josh, “so it’s a wide range, but for the most part it’s pretty good.

 “I still find it a little bit funny how at this point we’ve kind of just forgotten all about the Covid thing,” he added. “Like we’re doing classes inside. We’re like kinda six feet apart. Masks ‘mandatory,’ but you know like whatever — I’m vaccinated ill I’ll be there in a week, so it’ll be fun.”

Teachers were uniformly delighted.

“It’s wonderful,” said History teacher Mr. William Reusch. “It’s a little strange and it’s a little chaotic, just cause it’s so many different things. But it’s really nice — I’m really glad to be back.”

Art teacher Mrs. Garelick said she can get closer to the students now.

“I am pleasantly surprised that I was able to pick relationships with students; I didn’t get a chance to really bond with students on Soom,” Mrs. Garelick said. “I’m very happy to be here. 

“I’m so happy that we have collaboration and people are working together and it’s more of a free flow real art hands on class.”