Special 'COVID-QUARANTINE 2020' Edition
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Issue Number 27 https://www.somersschools.org/Page/11489 Summer 2020 Special ‘COVID-QUARANTINE 2020’ Edition You Are the Chroniclers of This Time in History! Quarantine By Dean W. Pappas (or brain drizzle . ) Quotes ELA 7 White Team Teacher Even in this age of Distance “Do What You Can, Tusker Tribune Advisor Learning, Telecommuting, Zoom meet- To my valued 7th grade ELA ings and virtual offices, newspapers With What You Have, White Team students: continue to chronicle history. Head- Where You Are . .” Welcome to being a part of histo- lines, photographs, editorials, reports, ry. The COVID pandemic and the sub- stories, and now, YOUR Quarantine —Teddy Roosevelt sequent quarantine Memoirs, will preserve this “Our Grandparents have changed your moment in time for all eter- lives in ways you may nity. Your voices, which Were Called to War. not yet fully compre- have been stifled in so many We’re Asked to Practice hend. Whatever your ways because of quarantine, Social Distancing and thoughts on living in a WILL BE HEARD now and Stop Hoarding Toilet virtual bubble over forever. Paper . .” the past three months, This, my dear stu- there is no doubt that dents, is YOUR way to leave —The PEI Collective this is a major event your mark on this historical in your young lives. moment. Well after you “Not All Heroes Wear It’s said that graduate SMS, and make Capes . But a Whole history is written by your way in a new and Dedicated Bunch of the victors. Well then, changed world, you will be Them Wear Scrubs . .” who will write the history of an event able to look back on this issue of the where there are NO victors? As it turns Tusker Tribune and say, “I was a part —Unattributed out, YOU will. of history, and this is MY STORY.” Not When I became a teacher 20 everyone gets a chance to tell their sto- “It’s OK to fall apart years ago, the very last thing I ever im- ry in this way. sometimes. Tacos fall agined doing would be teaching you via You do. apart and we still love computer from my upstairs office, with And after being denied so much them . .” my dog sleeping on the floor next to me. this year—socials, concerts, plays, Virtual meetings, instructional videos, sports, after-school activities, a week- —Carly’s Confessions and sending feedback via Schoology and end sleepover, a casual hangout, the e-mail are all novel, and intriguing. But Bronx Zoo, Splash Down, seeing your the truth remains, teaching is a CON- friends and teachers in the hallway, TACT SPORT, and I truly, truly miss cafeteria, playground, or in class—it’s the daily contact with each and every time that you’re GIVEN something—a is the online Somers Middle one of you. No marvel of technology can chance to TELL YOUR STORY to a School Student Newspaper. It is published weekly (except dur- replace interacting with a group of 24 wider audience. ing school vacations) on the eager young faces, having a discussion Please let your voices ring loud Somers Middle School Website. or debate, writing in notebooks, stand- and strong in this very special issue of It is entirely student-written by 6th, 7th and 8th grade students ing on desks (I REALLY wanted you to the Tusker Tribune. Because for once, from: do that this year!), having a poetry you not only get to LIVE history, you Somers Middle School, 250 Route 202, Somers, NY, USA. slam under a spotlight, and having get to WRITE IT as well. Any SMS student is eligible to some of you hang out in my classroom You have made me so proud of write stories. If interested, please e-mail during lunch. I, too, feel denied in some all you have achieved, and I know that Advisor Dean Pappas way because of this quarantine. you will rise from this, learn from this, at [email protected] So, I wracked my brain for some and take on the world on your own kind of final project that would allow us terms. Let that start here. all to express how we’re feeling. For Sincerely, better or for worse, this Quarantine Mr. Pappas, ELA White Team Memoir is the result of that brainstorm 19 June 2020 The Tusker Tribune Page 2 The Student Newspaper of Somers Middle School The Pandemic That Changed Us All By Emily Uffer finished in 45 minutes. Staying home ELA 7 White Team every day and not having to wear shoes I never thought that I has made me forget to put them on when would end my last day of 7th I leave the house with my mother. grade from my own house. I As a country, I feel that we did not take thought I would spend it in as many precautions as soon as we school with my friends and teachers, should have. Many schools did not close but instead I am in front of a computer until the second week of March, which screen sitting in my room. I started my could have prolonged the impact of the first day of 7th grade in the school build- disease. This most likely affected the ing, thinking that I would end it the number of deaths in America, which is same way. But I was wrong, wasn’t I? unbelievable and extremely upsetting. I feel like being a 7th grader in the Covid-19 Due to the virus, I was unable to have my annual pandemic has changed me in many ways. Alt- family Memorial Day pool party, which is my fa- hough I miss seeing familiar faces every day, I vorite part of summer when I get to spend time have learned to appreciate everything I have, to with family and friends who I rarely see. remember that everything happens for the best I have been unable to see my friends, and to be thankful for my friends and family. which is what I miss most. I feel that returning to Since we have been out of school for four school in September will be different from what months, we have continued learning. We started we have been used to. I think that the school day online school. The teachers post work daily for the will be split in half and distance learning will con- students to do and the students must submit as- tinue for part of the day. I do believe that there signments by the end of day. I think distance will be a vaccine, just not quite yet. I am hopeful learning has been a change for the students and that life will return to normal in the near future, an odd way to learn. I feel that having the whole and this pandemic will be seen as a learning op- day to complete work has been working out well portunity. for me. I don’t feel pressured to have all my work The Boredom of Quarantine By Heather Arena The government responded to this terrible ELA 7 White Team pandemic in many ways, some good and some not Christmas came and I was living a normal so good. The good thing is that they protected the life. Then came St. Patrick's Day and kids and teachers by closing the schools. Another Quarantine. The schools closed and I was good thing is that they instructed people to quar- no longer able to hang out antine; to wear masks, stay 6 feet with my friends. No more sleepo- apart; and to wash their hands of- vers; no more movies; it seemed my ten and not to touch their faces. life as I knew it stopped. The not so good thing is My new life consists of video that they closed the small stores conferences, Facetimes, and phone and kept the big stores open and calls. It also consists of getting up many people lost their jobs. I felt later than usual and staying in my they should not have shut the en- pajamas all day. I miss school and tire country down. Rather, they being around my teachers and class- should have shut down hotspots mates. Fortunately, I have a dog where the pandemic had a high named Sabrina who keeps me com- infection rate. I feel scared, wor- pany and keeps me busy. I also have a cat named ried, and sad that so many people died in this Bisket who also keeps me company. country. I used to be up dressed and at school at I do not like quarantine because I miss go- 8:20. Now I have been starting schoolwork at 9:00 ing places and seeing my friends. I think there in the morning in my pajamas. I stay at my desk will be more spread of the virus due to the recent working alone all day until I see that everything George Floyd protesting with large numbers of is complete. It is very boring and lonely to do people in a crowd. I think we will have a vaccine schoolwork that way. I do not find this memorable by the fall. I hope it will be in time. I also hope in anyway and I certainly do not find it funny. that they will be able to treat people with medi- Last summer, I was able to go to Tusker cine to reduce the symptoms and shorten the time Trax Camp and go all these cool places with lots of the illness and have people recover rather than of other kids.