I am a member of Palmer’s youth group and a seventh grade student at Lanier Middle School. Everyone knows that middle school is difficult but no one thought it would be this difficult. Being in lockdown is different for everyone so I asked three Palmer Youth middle schoolers, Elise Soika, Rowan Willard, and Helen Beebe, about their experiences. I have edited and condensed some of their answers, but I hope this will give you a window into the life of middle schoolers in quarantine. 

The last day of in-person school for most kids was March 13, 2020 so I asked them what that day was like. I wondered if there was an announcement to pack up their stuff in their lockers and make sure that they had everything they would need for the rest of the school year. Rowan mentioned that his school got everyone on a Microsoft Teams meeting. When he logged on that first time, he didn’t know Teams would become his classroom for the next year. Helen remembers that she was making a sculpture in art class that she never got to finish. Elise was part of a homeschool co-op at the time and she does not remember anything being different because nobody knew what was coming. 

Over the next 10 months lots changed. Because of the nature of lockdown we all missed human interaction with our family and friends the most. Elise mentioned that she has not seen her relatives outside of Zoom in over a year. Helen felt claustrophobic, and Rowan missed the feeling of being with more than the five people in his bubble. When asked what their favorite part of being in lockdown was, all three said that they enjoyed the break to have some time for themselves, work on skills, and pursue interests that they previously could not because of their busy schedules. For example, Helen enjoyed a slower pace of family life, Elise spent time drawing, and Rowan worked on a sci-fi novel.

We’ve all experienced changes in school over the course of the lockdown. Helen and Rowan started out on an extended spring break and then went to virtual schooling. Helen has started back in person. Elise and I were homeschooled and now are virtual but hoping to start in person soon. Rowan said that one of the perks is that there is no commute and he can start on homework as soon as school is out. Not having textbooks is nice, but Helen says pandemic restrictions have resulted in a loss of independence at school. She says “We have to go to the bathroom as a whole class…. Hey, we aren't in first grade anymore.” 

Sports and activities have also changed. We all had sports and activities canceled or moved online. I lost my swim team for months, Elise did a virtual dance recital, and our Youth group decorated cookies over Zoom. According to my parents, Rowan, Elise and I are in the same orchestra at school, but we didn't know that because we're all on Microsoft Teams and cannot see each other. It’s weird. Last June, July and August dragged on without any camps, but we’re hoping to see each other at Camp Allen this summer. 

Some things in school changed to work more efficiently, and I wonder what changes will stick. Rowan thinks that students will continue to do their homework online, Helen thinks that the block scheduling that is currently implemented will continue, and Elise thinks that face masks will still be mandatory for a little bit after everything has blown over. 

I am writing this in February 2021 after five days of cancelled school and power outages so, when I asked my friends the biggest change that surprised them, they could not think of answers other than, “Everything changed.” I guess that the trick to getting through the difficulties of middle school – pandemic or no pandemic – is to be okay with change.