STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

March 20, 2020

Notre Dame students weigh in on the first week of virtual learning.

Many in Notre Dame's student body grew up in the shadow of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Now they are facing a different crisis that no doubt will leave an indelible mark on their collective psyche and on their memories of school, especially those in the Class of 2020, who've had what should be the best year of high school suddenly interrupted.

Jenny Ohlsson, a member of Notre Dame Prep's senior class, said she's very concerned about her family, friends and fellow students' health and well-being but is keeping everything in proper perspective.

"Of course it's not super fun to have school shut down for a long time, especially during senior year, but I think it was a reasonable step to take, since sickness can spread like wildfire in a school," said Ohlsson, who plans to attend Oakland University in the fall. "It would make this crisis a lot harder on all of us if a large portion of the NDPMA student body and staff got sick, so I'm thankful we're all taking precautions to stay safe."

Chris Paul, another member of the Class of 2020, is equally circumspect.

"Due to how contagious the coronavirus is, I think it was beyond necessary to close the school," he said. "Thankfully and hopefully, the closure was executed before the virus was introduced to the students, staff or administration."

As he was getting settled into a different school environment and conducting his classwork remotely from home, Paul said he was a bit skeptical about how it would all work.

"At first, I was very curious as to how the first day and week of virtual learning would be carried out," he said. "My own routine is that I digitally map out each day on Google Calender, then go through and complete my assignments one-by-one. As of now, it looks like I will be dedicating the morning hours to finish school-related work. But all-in-all, for a first time, I thought virtual school at NDPMA was both efficient and engaging."

Elena Schwegman, a junior at Notre Dame Prep, said the move to home learning was certainly a big change for her, but as a creature of habit and routine, it wasn't too stressful.

"I tend to be a very organized, scheduled person anyway as normal school days always were pretty much all the same for me," she said. "I would go to school and practice and then come right home and finish any homework before partaking in any other activities. Now I am treating virtual learning with the same approach. I wake up every morning and begin working through my classes in the order I would typically have them on that day. 

"Getting my work out of the way by one or two in the afternoon makes me feel accomplished, while also providing some sense of normalcy for me. I can rely on this schedule, on this routine, and that gives me some peace in this time of unfamiliarity."

Ohlsson also said that even though she's had a couple of technical difficulties, virtual learning has been pretty enjoyable for her. 

"I love having a more relaxed schedule where I can complete my assignments at my own pace," she said. "Every day I make a schedule for myself to stay on track. When I wake up in the morning, I have the opportunity to start the day my favorite way: going for a run. After my workout, I carve out a couple hours in the morning to complete my school work, and I'm usually finished with everything by lunch, leaving the rest of the day to practice my instrument or just relax."

Schwegman said that after she's finished with her virtual learning for the day, she tries to find a different outside activity to do with her little sister. 

"One day it was a bike ride, another day it was teaching my sister how to throw a frisbee, and the next it was a friendly Wiffle-ball game," she said. "We even had a family Ping Pong tournament one night! Although I increasingly miss seeing my friends every day, I am thankful that texting and social media has allowed me to stay in touch."

She's also been bolstered by the reassurances and the coming together of the NDP community during the early days of the school shutdown. 

"Through the daily emails with prayers and well-wishes, in addition to teachers and coaches checking in constantly, it is clear to me that we are all in this together," she said. "I am so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful group of people, especially in times as tough as these. I know together we can overcome adversity and come out stronger." 

Likewise, Ohlsson, who sorely misses her friends and running track, she feels like life and school are going okay for her. 

"Despite the chaos going on in the world, my life is actually quite peaceful. Taking a huge step back from normal life has led to reduced stress, and I feel like I can increase the quality of my work since I think I actually will have more time to devote to each assignment."

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

Follow Notre Dame on Twitter at @NDPMA.

About Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy
Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three school are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDPMA is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.