pandemic

Connecting classmates

Grade governments work to continue organizing engaging events despite the constraints of the pandemic

Ella Waldman Features Editor

With steam from boiling water fogging up their Zoom cameras, a small group of the junior class took the opportunity to chat, bond and have a good time from the comfort of their own kitchens as they waited for the water to be ready for the mac and cheese they were making.

The cooking lesson was just one example in which the junior grade government had to adapt, but all grade governments have had to modify their plans because of the constraints that come with a pandemic in order to create fun and engaging programs. “It’s definitely more difficult than if we were in-person because a lot of grade bonding happens when you’re physically in the building and when you can hangout,” Talia Sporkin co-president of the Class of 2023 said.

However, a year after quarantine began, more opportunities have opened up. Last spring, all events had to be completely virtual, but in recent months, in-person events have become possible.

The sophomore and junior grade governments both hosted inperson outdoor movie nights in the fall, and all grades held numerous online events, including a talent show, a Kahoot game night and a virtual movie night.

Although students have enjoyed many of the programs, the overall experience of communicating with all grade government members and staying organized when everything is virtual has posed significant challenges.

“The hardest part about virtual meetings is the lack of communication because our communication skills have to really be on point, … like when there are two groups of people doing the same thing and we have to clarify that, or it’s harder to get ideas across,” Gaby Goldberg, copresident of the Class of 2024, said.

To deal with these challenges, the freshman class has been working hard to stay organized. The system they created includes a shared Google Drive where all members of the grade government have subfolders with their project materials. They also created to-do lists that they go through weekly to ensure they are staying on track.

Through these efforts, the grade governments are meeting their goals. Aside from grade bonding events, the junior grade government has made an effort to reach out to classmates to ensure that everyone is staying connected and enjoying the events.

“We tried to set up a program where someone on [grade government] would send a text to everyone in the grade just to make sure that everyone was getting reached out to,” Nathan Gershengorn co-president of the class of 2022 said.

Through the past year, grade government representatives feel they have worked diligently and continued to refine their practices. Looking ahead, they are excited for the opportunities that the coming months will bring.

“I think our grade government has done a really good job during [COVID-19]. We’re definitely improving more; we’re planning more,” Sporkin said. “We’re thinking about the upcoming months, what can we do when the weather gets warmer, how can we help our grade. So I think that the class of 2023’s grade government is doing a good job.”

BY THE NUMBERS 8

virtual events have run since the start of the pandemic 2 in-person events have occured since the start of the school year 28 students on average attend grade government events

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students participate in grade government

Pictured on left: the Junior class gathers at the back of the school to watch a movie at their outdoor grade event. Photo courtesy of Interim Assistant Dean, math teacher and Professional Development Coordinator Tori Ball. Pictured on right: Class of 2022 grade government members gather for a meeting to discuss an upcoming event. Photo courtesy of freshman secretary Julia Rich.