By Hayley Rea--Eagle Staff Writer
Due to coronavirus, many teachers--like Stephanie Milliron, Tina Young, Marisa Carey--and students like Eliza Quesenberry have made changes to their routines to help protect their families.
“The pandemic has been both difficult and alarming. Like most parents, I have been concerned about my kids' safety and emotional well being,” commented Stephanie Milliron, an English teacher.
Not only has the pandemic caused changes for parents, but it has altered life for students here with younger siblings, too.
“My family has made some serious adjustments during this pandemic,” said Quesenberry, grade 12. “My younger sister and I have gone completely virtual for school, and we take every precaution possible.”
For teachers on campus with families, they have had to take extra precautions to avoid bringing home sicknesses and germs from others at school.
“As a family, we are using common sense and practicing good hand washing, wearing masks for the protection of others, and staying away from very large groups,” explained Young, a science teacher.
The pandemic has caused a lot of fear and panic for many families in our county due to the risks of contracting the illness.
“Protecting one another is not to live in fear, but rather to respect each other, and if one is Christian, the Christian thing to do. A mask and social distance does not protect me from you, but rather you from me,” Carey, a Spanish teacher, replied concerning the importance of safety precautions.
The pandemic has caused a great deal of disturbance for many people here, not only with physical sickness, but mentally, and emotionally too.
“This virus affects everyone differently, not only with physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological stress that it has created,” Young replied. “At this point, the emotional and psychological fatigue is starting to take a toll on all of us. It is a delicate balance between being cautious and fearful.”
Many students on campus with younger siblings have also had to pitch in at home to help those children stay safe as well during the pandemic.
“All of us wear masks everywhere we go, and my sister is like a human Pez dispenser for hand sanitizer. It has definitely been stressful, but I think we've handled the situation relatively well,” Quesenberry commented. “None of us have caught the virus, so I take that as a sign that we are doing something right!”
For families, especially those that may be high risk, protecting themselves against this virus is not to be taken lightly.
“If we all do our civil and moral part of wearing a mask in public, keep our distance, and wash our hands, we will protect each other from not only a deadly disease, but also from economic and educational shortfalls,” explained Carey.
However, precautionary measures aren’t the only ways that families here have had to adjust their routines.
“It has also been hard to help them adapt to the hybrid school environment. We are spending a lot of time on school work, so we have had to sacrifice free time and some of the activities we normally enjoy,” Milliron explained about the changes to her children’s schedules for school.
Despite the hardships that have come along with the pandemic, students and staff on campus are protecting themselves through the use of masks and social distancing to stop the spread.
“While this is challenging now, I have to believe that we will all be stronger because of it,” Milliron concluded.