COVID and the Classroom
High school seniors navigate a pivotal year and a pandemic. More...
June 6, 2021
Flying High: An in-person graduation, alongside classmates Bridget’s known since kindgergarten was a high point in a year with many lows. “I’m definitely not saying I’d do this all over again, but I think that I was able to grow from it and learn how to be a better version of myself,” she said. “Now, part of me is, like, I can take on whatever is coming next.”
June 5, 2021
A Different World: The night before she graduates from Framingham High, Bridget reflects on saying goodbye to childhood friends and getting ready to go to college.
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May 20, 2021
Show Stopper: : Framingham High’s drama company is staging an outdoor production of “Shrek The Musical”. Bridget’s the assistant director and she clearly knows how to lead a cast. GBH Senior Producer Joanie Tobin’s camera was rolling during rehearsal when Bridget stole the show.
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April 25, 2021
Decision Made: One of the toughest things about applying to college during a pandemic was not being able to visit campuses. Bridget finally got the chance take some college tours this spring and now she’s made her choice.
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April 9, 2021
Who Are You? Usually, by the end of the school year, Bridget would know all the kids in her classes. Not this year. She’s been back at school part-time for month, but there are still a lot of unfamiliar faces.
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March 23, 2021
Here We Go: Bridget shows up for her first in-person class in a year. It’s an adjustment.
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March 8, 2021
Backstage Tour: Sure, it’s great to see teachers in person and friends in the hallways. But Bridget’s a theater kid. And - when she returned to school for the first time in a year – she found a surprise waiting in the theater.
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February 23, 2021
One Year Later: It’s been almost a year since Bridget’s school was shut down and she misses the ways things were when she could sit in a class, hang out with friends and be part of the producing the school play. But, she says, she’s learned a lot this year, including how to adapt to a difficult situation.
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February 16, 2021
Edge Of A Knife: Bridget’s not the only one worried about what it will be like when she returns to school. The vice principal of Framingham High’s senior class compares reopening during a pandemic to “walking on the edge of a knife.”
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February 13, 2021
6:00 AM Alarm: Bridget’s looking forward to February break, but also thinking about what it will mean to return to school after a year of remote learning. One of her biggest concerns? Getting up on time.
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January 25, 2021
Things Are Changing: Bridget can’t remember the last time she was at school, but if all goes according to plan she could be back in class next month.
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January 19, 2021
Dear Bridget: The wait has been agonizing at times, but colleges are finally letting Bridget know whether or not she’s been accepted.
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January 19, 2021
Everything’s Cancelled: Bridget has tried to stay positive during the pandemic. It hasn’t been easy. She used her iPhone to chronicle the experience of remote school and explain the mental health toll of a senior year spent entirely online.
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December 31, 2020
Expectations: Bridget wants to feel hopeful about the new year, but 2020 has taken a toll. And to make matters worse, she’s still waiting to hear back from colleges.
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December 4, 2020
Personal Essay: This year a student’s personal story may be more important than ever for college admissions. Here’s part of what Bridget wrote in her college essay about being adopted from China. “Being adopted made me who I am – a person who wants to make sure everyone feels accepted and to be a voice for people who feel they lost theirs.”
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November 21, 2020
It’s Just Hard: Remote school is taking a toll on Bridget. She’s having a hard time focusing on school and instead is thinking about a COVID-free future.
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November 20, 2020
College Acceptance: Bridget receives her first college acceptance and shares the news in this text exchange with GBH News reporter Tori Bedford.
November, 15 2020
Night Owl: Bridget powers through a (very) late night to meet the deadline for college applications.
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October 28, 2020
Curtains Closed: When Bridget started at Framingham High School she felt isolated and lonely. Then she got involved with the high school’s theater group. “They didn't know how they were helping me, how they were kind of turning my life around.” Bridget hoped to spend senior year mentoring underclassman starting their own high school journeys. Instead the school - and the theater - are closed and she wonders if her final high school show has already happened.
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October 26, 2020
Community: Teachers have figured out how to do a lot with technology. But it’s one thing to teach math via a computer screen and quite another to replace the experience of putting on the school play. Her role staging live shows helped Bridget develop friendships and confidence. Her theater teacher worries about connecting with other students struggling to find their place. “I see it as my role as one of the drama teachers here to help students realize who they are by the time they graduate from high school,” says Framingham High theater teacher Chris Brindley. “That sense of community really is what's going to be lacking.”
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October 20, 2020
Improvisation: The pandemic has forced Framingham High’s theater group to get creative and, to her surprise, Bridget’s enjoying a new way of making sure the show goes on.
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October 16, 2020
Another Delay: Bridget reacts to the news that her high school will remain remote until at least January.
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September 15, 2020
First Day Of School: Bridget loves the excitement of heading back to school. But this year, there’s nowhere to go. Framingham High is starting the school year with remote only classes.
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