Looking Back on the Progress

With the 2021-22 school year closing, we’ve yet to recognize the progress made the first year back from virtual learning and quarantine. After spending one and a half years turning on computers, phones, tablets, and other technological devices to join classes, students have managed to adapt quickly to the return. Even though certain precautions such as the mask mandate at the start of the year stopped life from feeling entirely back to normal, much progress, mirror and big, was accomplished.

For students overcoming educational obstacles, technological challenges, financial hardships, isolation or increased responsibilities at home, and health concerns were some barriers to student success. However, Deerfield Beach High advisors and staff were able to provide strategies to teens who needed help adjusting to all the unexpected changes in the past years, allowing them to not only meet but exceed expectations.

Many of the benefits of face-to-face schooling were taken for granted and overlooked before the lockdown. Now, as another year of on-campus schooling has been completed, students and staff can look back and see all the opportunities offered to them by simply being able to show up.

Starting with finding classes and navigating the halls, especially for freshmen and sophomores. Knowing the environment, they are learning in and feeling comfortable in it is an important part of a student’s education. The virtual school did not allow new students to familiarize themselves with the school

environment. As nerve-wracking as it was coming back to school, it allowed students to get back to socializing and working with people in a public and group setting.

Deerfield focused on not only starting classes again but providing all students with the all-inclusive DBHS experience, meaning clubs and sports. The year quickly commenced with volleyball and football starting their seasons, and the rest of the sports followed suit soon after. As for clubs, many were advertised within the first month of being back on campus. Student Government Association, Key Club, and the Gender Sexuality Alliance clubs were some of the first to restart to develop a sense of community for students.

Specific to Deerfield Beach High School, the Communications and Broadcast Arts program and the International Baccalaureate program continued to show a never-ending rigor in giving teens a smooth education. Students were situated with journalism, broadcasts, newspaper, tv production, film, and digital design classes for CBA, and IB students were back to being given an in-depth education on all matters of the world, bringing back a sense of normalcy to the students in each organization.

Looking back at the experiences of the past two-year students had to handle many chances. The transitions to online and back to in-person were momentous changes to daily life for everyone, yet the students at Deerfield Beach High School handled them gracefully. Students prepare to proceed swiftly and cautiously into the 2022-23 school year in a matter of months.

Written by Julianah Cha Pit | Graphic Designed by Julianah Cha Pit

Published June 10, 2022 | ePathfinder | News