May 2020 GOODBYE to the CLASS of 2020 Letters from Sean and Molly
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Shady Side Academy News May 2020 GOODBYE TO THE CLASS OF 2020 Letters From Sean and Molly By: Sean Kelley one. For most this would be a mundane purchase of As I have ended the little significance, but to last Zoom call of my high me, this desk was a gift for school career, I am sitting the person I was committed staring at the computer to becoming at Shady that has been my window Side, one who would be back into normalcy. I end burdened enough to need now with writing this final the space of its surface, thank you and farewell to one who studied with the school that has meant persistence and would so much to me and the look at ease taking notes people that I will carry and reading upon such with me wherever I go. a beast. And it’s in me Firstly, thank you to Molly cleaning out its innards Skvorak. My partner in in preparation for my crime and a lifelong friend. family’s move this July that We were so lucky to have memories are overflowing had such complementary like that of the papers personalities, and I am stuffed in her cabinets. truly going to miss her next All the hastily year. Thank you also to Mr. written English exam Green, the advisor of our notes, the problem-based wonderful Student Council, math questions that and of course thank you to were completed but Tanner, Elizabeth, Arusha, not understood, the Katie, Jack K, Porter, Jack mascot presentations, H, Andy, Hailey, Elaine, the environmental club Liam, and Logan. I could initiative announcements, Sean and Molly, Student Body President and Vice the student-council spend the rest of the lines thanking President, leading our last virtual assembly every teacher and student at Shady election speeches, and assembly notes, Side that has helped form me into the and its individuals have accomplished. composed and practiced pacing in this man that I am today, but alas I am I will be a kid with ND on his chest, but now barren room, one by one were allotted a certain number of words. SSA in his heart. Glory to Shady Side. recalled with ease as I pulled them from My goal when I started this year as these drawers. Yet during this parting president was to humanize our group. hour, as the desk has little time before By: Molly Skvorak I wanted to make sure that people it is disassembled and presumably did not think of us as individuals on a While I was excited for much upon donated or discarded, I’m filled not with pedestal, but peers in the community, first moving to Fox Chapel from Canada sadness. Our parting of ways serves as ready and eager to help with any three years ago, amidst the fresh starts a much-needed reminder of how lucky problems. My favorite memory of and new opportunities, the prospect I am to have gone to such a school and this year was walking into the gym that I was most looking forward to was to have grown in the ways that I have. before Homecoming and seeing that that of picking out my own desk. I had And I’m making way for the memories my Student Council was hard at work wanted one that an ostentatious lawyer to come, such is the progression of life. along with help from our school would for a peculiar amount of time, As the saying goes, time waits mates. This meant the world to me and with the move, progress towards for no one, so don’t allow that that everyone was willing to help out. achieving such a dream was rapidly which you have left among friends, The days this year were long, but the advancing. Inside the used furniture teachers, and members of the greater year was far too short. I will carry store I was immediately hit with the SSA community to slip from your Shady Side in my mind and my heart smell of fresh varnish and old men. It grasp before you appreciate it for as I head to South Bend in August. was in this cloud of cigar smoke from what it is: joyous and fleeting. I am humbled and blessed by this such gentlemen that I saw her. Almost Thank you Shady Side, it’s been opportunity to lead our community. I six feet in length, and three wide, with real. And feel free to reach out if look forward to coming back to see all multiple mug watermarks on its old you are in need of a new desk or of the amazing things that this school ambered surface, I knew this was the a conversation with an old friend. Layout by: Gabi Jegasothy 1 An Address from our New Student Body Leadership By: Jack Keating and Katie Sparvero page for what our return should and repetitive, but it is never easy getting a will look like. It’s hard to say whether crowd’s attention at 10AM and keeping As you probably gathered from our our return to traditional learning will it for 25 minutes. However, we believe byline and the title of our article, we are mean that all of our routines, habits, that we can make improvements to Student Body President Jack Keating and practices will return too, since hopefully attract everyone’s attention and Student Body Vice President Katie an important part of returning to as much as we can. To start, we believe Sparvero. It’s a little odd to be greeting traditional learning will also be taking we can make things more interactive. all of you through a pdf newspaper lessons from our time on Zoom. We Having speakers who won’t just lecture, rather than face to face at assembly, promise that the work we do on our but bring students up on stage and get but we’re still thrilled to be able to transition back to “real school” will us all to play along. Kahoots and online communicate with the student body. be informed by conversations with games of that nature can also make We’re thrilled to have the chance to faculty and by research and facts. Most us as the student body listen and care work for and with all of you in the next importantly, though, our work on the about the message being delivered. school year. In our two years on Student transition away from distance learning CMOTW and jokes every Monday and Council, we’ve learned how Friday are fantastic, and they best to serve the many needs help us feel more connected of our community. We know to the people speaking. In that, despite the uncertainty addition, doing a highlight of of this all, we can apply the the week in regards to a play lessons we’ve learned and be during a sporting event or a the leaders our communities solo at a concert would be a need. We hope this article really cool way to share the can help pull back the exciting things our talented curtains on what we hope community is doing. These to achieve this next year. small things can add up to We all know that returning have us all enjoy Mondays from distance learning to and Fridays at 10:05 just a being on campus, whenever little bit more. If any student that may be, will be a difficult has an idea that they think transition for us all. During would be fun, ask us, because our time learning over Zoom, we would love to hear it! we’re all developing new For all that we’ve said so far, habits and practices, which we by no means can know for will be challenging to unlearn as we and back to what we’re all used to — certain what the next school year will return to having three to six classes a sitting in classrooms with our friends bring for us. We don’t know if we’ll be day, as opposed to two. All of this is — will be to help all of you, and that back on campus, getting to see you all made harder by the fact that no one means that we will be consistently in person, or if we’ll still be in virtual knows exactly when we will return. We present and open to all of you. What’s classrooms. Regardless, we couldn’t feel the uncertainty we know you’re most important to us is making sure be more excited to build off of what feeling, and that’s what makes a smooth that you’re getting the best experience Sean and Molly have done this year. and well-planned transition back to possible, and that comes from good The coming school year brings with it traditional learning so important. In planning and better communication. immense possibility, and we hope to be order to achieve this, we’ll start working Through the past three years at Shady the best leaders we can be. If you ever with Mr. Green, Mrs. Sabundayo, and Side, we have heard people complain have an idea or simply want to reach out Mr. Griffith as soon as possible so that about assembly. Some of the things to us, never hesitate to do so! Until next students and adults are all on the same we’ve heard is that it can be boring or year, this is Jack and Katie signing off. Personally, I have some ideas that I think would bring us together as a student body.