Halfway There! So How Are We Feelin’?

How has this year been for you so far?

Samantha (9th grade) – Stressful but fun.

Anonymous (9th) – Pretty good.

Griffen (9th) – It’s been strange coming from the middle school. 

Anonymous (10th) – Very stressful.

Erin (12th ) – This year has gone by very quickly so far. I feel like the workload has been manageable but sometimes it can be difficult and cause stress. Other than that I have enjoyed it.

Anonymous (11th) – Pretty good overall, much better than last year.

How has this year been for the school?

• Samantha (9th grade) – I think the school has had its ups and downs. 
• Anonymous (9th) – I feel like it’s getting worse. 
• Griffen (9th) – Not the best.
• Anonymous (10th) – Bad, there has been a lot of racism and other discrimination. 
• Erin (12th ) – I feel like there have been many problems and situations the school has faced this year, some being more intense then others.
• Anonymous (11th) – I think it’s been a much more organized year for the school than last year. A lot less rules were in place last year which caused a lot more disruption and less learning. There are still like behavioral issues, especially with defacing school property, but I think the schools shaped up overall and corrected a lot of them. We’ve had a lot of successful school events, I mean the road is always bumpy but in my opinion it’s been much better than last year.

How were midterms?

• Samantha (9th grade) – Stressful!!!!!
• Anonymous (9th) – I only had one midterm which I was pretty stressed about. It was math but I ended up doing just fine. 
• Griffen (9th) – Good.
• Anonymous (10th) – I was scared but I did well for the most part. 
• Erin (12th ) – I did not have any midterms.
• Anonymous (11th) – I didn’t really have midterms, but honestly it’s been challenging with APs and balancing everything.

Is this school year going by fast?

• Samantha (9th grade) – Yes, a lot has happened so I think it sped up a ton. 
• Anonymous (9th) – Yes, maybe it’s just because it’s my freshman year and everything is so exciting. This year is definitely flying by. 
• Griffen (9th) – I was surprised when I checked the calendar the other day and it was already January!
• Anonymous (10th) – I think it’s going by slow because school is boring. 
• Erin (12th ) – It is hard to believe it is almost February break. I think it has gone fast because I have kept myself busy, and have not focused on how many days are left in the school year.
• Anonymous (11th) – As a junior who feels like a sophomore, (because covid kind of took away my freshman year) time is going by at lightning speed. It’s weird to adjust to, sometimes it feels like my junior year is ending before I’ve realized it’s begun.

What are you looking forward to for the end of the year?

• Samantha (9th grade) – Summer!
• Anonymous (9th) – Fewer assignments and warm weather. 
• Griffen (9th) – The warm weather allowing me to do fun things outside. 
• Anonymous (10th) – Warm weather!
• Erin (12th ) – I am looking forward to the different events such as graduation, prom and different senior events. Also the nice weather!
• Anonymous (11th) – I’m looking forward to a lot of school events and vacations. Junior prom, a spring dance hopefully, February and April break.

What are you nervous/ stressed about for the end of the year?

• Samantha (9th grade) – Picking classes for next year. 
• Anonymous (9th) – My math final and the physics MCAS. 
• Griffen (9th) – I’m nervous about MCAS. 
• Anonymous (10th) – Finals. 
• Erin (12th ) – I am stressed for the events that are coming up. They indicate that my high school career is coming to a close. I am also nervous for finals and AP tests. Because at the moment I feel underprepared.
• Anonymous (10th) – Grades a lot of the time, but mostly the SAT. Maybe it’s just me but I think a lot of juniors are stressed about the SAT, there’s a lot of pressure.

Has the school made progress since the beginning of the year?

• Samantha (9th grade) – Honestly idk. 
• Anonymous (9th) – No. In fact, I think the school is making negative progress. The fire alarm goes off because people are vaping in the bathroom, bathrooms are getting gratified, and the schedule change for next year has a lot of students angry. I’m not excusing the students from the blame but I do think there is a deeper reasoning.
• Griffen (9th) – There isn’t much change in my opinion. 
• Anonymous (10th) – No the school is not improving. We had a walk out but I feel like the administration didn’t try to change. 
• Erin (12th) – I think it has in the topic of rules and school policy. Definitely an improvement from last year. However, there is always room for things to change and improve.
• Anonymous (11th) – I honestly do, we still have a lot to work on but compared to last year I feel like we’re at a good place to start.

Final thoughts

These responses have helped me look back on the year through a different lens. I think we should all be asking ourselves two questions at this mid-year point:  How can we better ourselves? How can we better Waltham High?