By Taliyah Lowe
Since quarantine began, this has been a period of adjustment. From having school online, to participating in clubs and other activities through Zoom, distance learning has taken an emotional and social toll on all of us. The question that is still up in the air is, what school will look like in the fall? If we return to school, how do teachers, students, and parents prepare for it? Will high school go back to the way it was, or will there be a new sense of normalcy?
Dr. Joseph Ricca, the superintendent of the White Plains School District, believes that whatever the new normal is, we will work together to get through it. He also explains that we have to be smart and reasonable when moving forward. Dr. Ricca is also a father of two, and he promised that he wouldn’t make a decision for the students of the White Plains School District that he wouldn’t make for his own kids.
The effort that was put in by the students, teachers, and administrators has been unmatched. This is an event that has never happened before, and everyone took this challenge and handled it successfully. Dr. Ricca said he has never been more proud of the teachers and students in White Plains. He acknowledges the fact that this situation has not been perfect but insists that we will grow from it.
When we return to the school--hopefully this upcoming September-- Ricca has mentioned that there will be resources for students that need it, such as guidance counselors, teachers, and other supports. He urges students who are anxious and nervous to reach out and utilize these resources. He also said that there will be a focus on social and emotional health. Additionally, in the light of all the protest and systematic racism coming to the surface Dr. Ricca states that he stands with the protesters, and he says that the students are the strongest citizens around. He also looks forward to creating the future together.
Helen Keller once said, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” We will learn from this experience and become stronger than we ever were. The only thing we need to get through is hope, and the students and teachers of White Plains High School are full of it.