WMS students and staff had to separate to different schools due to our school not being quite ready yet. At CHS, we have found ways to make this all better.

Since Dr. Crowe is not in CHS with us, Mr. Keuscher, a 7th grade Civics teacher, has been put in charge of us. In regards to being in charge, Mr. Keuscher said,“It’s an honor. At first [it] was daunting, but after learning what a great team we are, it’s a privilege.” Mr. Keuscher continued to talk about how well we are doing at CHS. He said that he thinks we are doing “phenomenal”, and we aren’t getting frustrated and taking advantage of a new environment to be rude and disrespectful.

Due to the fact that we are in a different school, we might not be able to do some activities that would happen normally at WMS, such as clubs, and possibly dances. Mr. Keuscher said he plans to try to do events we would do at WMS, and adapt them into the CHS environment. 

Everyone has been asking when we are going back to WMS. The answer is still uncertain, and Mr. Keuscher said we definitely aren’t going to be back soon, and he is still unsure. He will be able to meet his civics classes, and we will be in “a clean, safe, and secure area for students and staff.”

How the teachers have acclimated

It’s not only students who have to adjust, it is teachers as well, especially if a special room is needed like an art room or computer lab to properly teach in. Mrs. Donewitz and Mr. Blasena were kind in sharing their way of teaching at CHS.

“I’m getting used to teaching here without a computer lab.” said Mr. Blasena, a WMS technology teacher, “and I was able to change my way of teaching.” Mr. Blasena went on to say what his new computer lab is going to look like, “I’m going to have two classrooms; a movie studio with new equipment, and a Mac lab.”

Mr. Blasena also shared how he makes this better for the students, which is really how the Chromebooks make things better. He said that “the use of Chromebooks makes it a lot easier.” but the students have to make sure that their Chromebooks are charged!

“I’m going to miss the small classroom.” Mr. Blasena continued about what he’ll miss about CHS, but he won’t miss having to switch over to AMS in the afternoon. He also showed how his class is doing at CHS, “Seventy-five percent of my kids are doing well.” he said after a show of hands from his class.

Many people wonder what the interior of the school will look like when it’s finished. Luckily for us, Mr. Blasena has seen the inside of our school. He said that it’ll be very bright and colorful, and joked that it will have “that fresh car smell.”

Mrs. Donewitz, the art teacher at WMS, shared her experience here. “I’m lucky to be in an art room.” she said, “All the teachers [at CHS] have been really helpful.” Her students seem to be doing well at CHS. She even said that all the WMS students appear to be doing well. Mrs. Donewitz said that she’s been trying to do new projects, and to make the time at CHS as normal as possible.

The one thing the art teacher will miss is her daily time here. She said that she had gotten into a routine, and she will miss that routine once we go back.

Mrs. Donewitz described what she wants her classroom and the school to be like. She wants it to look “very clean and bold”. She also said, “it will be an adjustment. I don’t know what to expect.” Mrs. Donewitz continued in saying that the school will have a lot of changes done to it, and it will be ”exciting”.

A word from the students

With so many 7th grade students at CHS, we all had to find ways to adjust to this together, as well as in our own ways. Two students share what their experience was like.

“I like that we have our own rooms, and CHS being so considerate to let us stay here.” said Harnit Kaur, one of the 7th graders at CHS, about what she likes at the high school. “What I don’t like is the busing, and [that] we get held back [sometimes] due to weather.”

After being at CHS for a while, Kaur said she finds it easier to find her way around the high school, and it’s easier for her to wake up earlier.

Learning about the sticky situation we’re in at such a surprising time can be shocking. Kaur was confused about the situation. She said, “Wouldn’t the construction at Woodbridge be done by now?” Since Kaur is in Mrs. Barber’s science class, they don’t have a lab at the moment. Kaur said “I feel like it’s a lot less fun because experiments are the fun part, and we can’t have that.”

Another student, Ziann Grooms, said how she feels about having her own Chromebook, “I like that we can do a lot on the Chromebooks.”

Some students might miss a few things about CHS once we go back to WMS. Grooms said that she will miss having her classes so close to each other instead of having to walk a while to get to another class.

Grooms has a lot of expectations for the look of our school. She wants to see many improvements. “I might see a bigger gym, a little bigger classrooms, [and] at least having [a] better lunchroom.” She also wants to see the auditorium, somewhat nicer bathrooms, and better Chromebooks, basement, and office. 

All of WMS is grateful to CHS and Mr. Pace for letting us stay at the school we’re in. Hopefully, we will be able to enter our brand new school very soon. Though there may be some amazing benefits about being in a high school, everyone can agree that we want to be back in WMS as soon as we can.