Who would have ever thought that Friday the 13th would have been our last day of school?  Friday the 13th has long been considered a day of bad luck and has inspired a late 19th-century secret society, an early 20th-century novel and a series of horror films that describe fear of this supposedly unlucky day. 

Students initially thought the closure might provide a brief respite from school rather than a closure that will last through the end of the year.

“When the state announced that we would be out for two weeks, I thought it would be a great time for me to collect my thoughts and relax while doing my work at home. My thoughts changed quickly,” freshman Laura-Steele Thorne said.

Teachers’ thoughts in the beginning were overwhelming, too.

“We did have doubts on how to teach our students and how to answer their questions about this time,” social studies teacher Rebecca Williams said.

Yes, students and teachers miss life as we knew it. We miss life like it was on Friday, March 13, 2020. However, we are Spartanburg One and we will make the best of all that we have. 

We must thank the administration of Spartanburg One for our technology. Students at Chapman High School can stay in touch with friends in the classroom virtual setting through virtual meets that teachers host.

Teachers admit, though, that there is no substitution for face-to-face interaction.

“Being at school in a classroom with students allows you to have a relationship with students that is impossible virtually,” Williams said. “I truly feel that we all need to take a stance during this time to be easy on one another.”  

Still, teachers have found ways to ensure that students know they are aware of challenges. 

“I appreciate the teachers that are giving the students plenty of time to do their work, letting the students work on their own schedule,” freshman Camden Souther said. 

It has also been a time of good reflection for teachers.

“My time at home has allowed me to examine which practices I have that can be student-led versus teacher-led,” science teacher Chelsea Elkins said. “It has helped me reevaluate how I incorporate activities to make learning individualized and self-paced so that students can work through content and activities at their own level and ability. It means that students can really self-evaluate what they need to focus on and where their strengths and weaknesses are in their classes.”

It is crucial during this time that despite the challenges, we all count our blessings and focus on what this time has shown us. 

“This is a very weird time, so while at home I just try to focus on things that make me happy,” Souther said. “This time has helped me appreciate everything that I have while being at home.”

“Although this has been kind of boring, I have enjoyed spending more time with my family and having more time to do some things that I didn’t have the time for before,” freshman Olivia Ireland said. “A new hobby I picked up is learning how to play the guitar. I have also been going outside a lot, doing projects and crafts, and practicing golf.”

Still, there’s something about being away from Chapman that can be a little frustrating.

“I have to be honest in that I have loved this quality time with my own children, but I deeply miss my students,” Williams said. “While being a mother to my own children is rewarding, being a mother to my students brings me a kind of joy and sense of belonging that I miss very much.”

Everyone I interviewed mentioned that they have to take time to stick to a schedule. Without a schedule, things do not get done. 

“Making a list of all that needs to be accomplished in the day while working from home is the best strategy,” Elkins said. “If you make a list each day with what your assignments are then it can help you balance your time and mark them off as you go. Even if you don’t get every assignment completed in the day, it can still help you feel accomplished in what you did get completed. I just add my unfinished task to the next day’s list and take every day one day at a time.” 

Although this is a challenging time, and we are having to make adjustments, it is important to remember that we are lucky to still be together as one — Spartanburg District One, a district with the best teachers and students luck could bring.