The Catalyst / Photo courtesy of Katie Koenig
Katie Koenig, freshman at Mercy High School
Katie Koenig, freshman at Mercy High School
Since many schools have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many high school students are going to school online in what is called distance learning. Some of them communicate with their teachers via email or websites, like gClassroom and Schoology. Others participate in online classrooms via video conferencing apps, like Google Hangouts and Zoom. The Catalyst interviewed Katie Koenig, freshman at Mercy High School in Burlingame, about her experiences going to school online.
The Catalyst (TC): What is a typical day of school like for you?
Katie Koenig (KK): A typical day of school for me starts at 7:55 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. with 120 minute classes, 10 minute passing periods and 40 minute lunches. During distance learning, we still keep the same schedule just as if we would in school. About half of my teachers use Zoom to communicate or teach lessons, and the other half sends videos of them, explaining the notes and assignments.
TC: How are you coping with social distancing and keeping in touch with your friends?
KK: I am coping pretty well with this whole social distancing situation. I really miss hanging out with my friends and being around others. I will usually call my friends once a day just to say, “Hi” and keep up with them since we don’t get to see each other at the moment.
TC: How has this personally impacted your school year? Was anything that you were really looking forward to canceled?
KK: This has personally impacted my school year because I am missing out on my freshman softball experience, which is what I was really looking forward to going into the second semester. The season is not canceled yet, but even this whole pause to real-life interactions and playing this sport makes me heartbroken that I can’t experience it anymore.