![\"\"](\"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Pueblo-Guitar-Masked.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWe all are still wearing masks as we head into the second half of this second quarter of the first semester of the school year\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, at least we are all back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A year ago, there was a lot of uncertainty about the future of our world, our country, and our schools. Some of that uncertainty may not have found permanent answers or solutions\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we\u2019re back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the chaos and disorder that began in March, 2020, when district schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a miracle vaccine helped us to resume normalcy, although with some hesitation and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI missed [being back in classrooms in] school,\u201d said Alex Rodriguez, a junior. \u201cI missed socializing and the feeling of being here and actually sitting in a classroom with a teacher educating us in person and not on a tiny screen online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another junior, Leo Duarte, said, \u201cNow that I\u2019m back this year, I honestly don\u2019t know how I ever survived last year on-line. I know that our teachers were frustrated about the technology, and I know that they really tried their hardest to teach us, but so many of us students feel like we were short-changed the education that we would normally receive in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Duarte added, \u201cThis is probably why all of us juniors feel behind and why we\u2019re told by our teachers how much we have to learn to play \u2018catch-up\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Natalia Arteaga, a junior, said, \u201cI feel like my anxiety was diminished this school year. I\u2019m learning more this school year than on-line instruction. I couldn\u2019t imagine learning anatomy on-line!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we marched through this first quarter with determination and tenacity, most students were relieved that policies and standards for athletic sports have improved, even though players are still required to wear masks while practicing and playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Junior Victoria Cazares, a fervid basketball player, stated, \u201cLast year we had to follow a lot of rules we were not used to. The mask was new, and for many of us, it was uncomfortable. Now, it\u2019s normal, and we\u2019ve adjusted to wearing them. We are resilient\u2014we face challenges and overcome them, just like when we play sports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many teachers shared their struggles to teach online. They missed teaching students in-person; returning to their classrooms was like being back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love being back!\u201d English teacher Ms. Caroline Fioramanti said. \u201cAt first, teaching back in the classroom was tough\u2014especially enforcing mask-wearing. However, I\u2019m used to it now, and I believe that our students are, too. Wearing masks and getting the vaccine are symbols of caring for ourselves and for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our administrative team is also happy to govern a school with students and teachers in person. Ms. Kathryn Gunnels, assistant principal, said that she is relieved that we are getting back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure, it [returning in person] is challenging,\u201d Gunnels said, referring to the safety mandates that have been implemented this year. \u201cHowever, I\u2019m okay with these mandates. I feel comfortable and a little safer wearing masks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She paused and said, \u201cI think a lot of people feel like I do\u2014that you never know how good something is until it\u2019s gone\u2014and having students, faculty, staff and administration is definitely a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most students, teachers and administrators feel confident that we can endure the school year\u2014and even make it thrive at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think many of us could have survived another year on-line,\u201d said senior Lisa Morales-Bonillas. \u201cI feel sorry especially for the Class of 2020 who never had the chance to graduate on time with a formal ceremony. I hope that doesn\u2019t happen to us. We\u2019re all a little nervous about what\u2019s going to happen next semester\u2014if COVID-19 cases will escalate or decrease.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She paused and added, \u201cFor now, everything is cool. I suppose we all just need to live from day to day and not get overwhelmed about the future. Everybody just needs to get vaccinated and to social distance as much as possible. That\u2019s the only way we\u2019re going to wipe out this [COVID-19] pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morales-Bonillas continued, \u201cThose who don\u2019t get vaccinated should realize how they are not only jeopardizing their own health but also risking others\u2019 health. I think next year, the district should mandate vaccinations for all students who want to be learn in-person. For those who don\u2019t or refuse to be vaccinated, they should learn on-line and stay away from others who are trying to get back to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Kevin Salazar We all are still wearing masks as we head into the second half of this second quarter of the first semester of the school year\u2026 However, at least we are all back. A year ago, there was a lot of uncertainty about the future of our world, our country, and our schools. … Continue reading Warriors Conquering First Semester\u2014Mask & All<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[345,351],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pA2u4-Uj","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3491"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3493,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3491\/revisions\/3493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pueblowarriors.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}