Student Reflections: Resilience in the Face of COVID
When asked what she, her staff and students learned about resilience during this difficult year, Head of School Rebecca Altepeter decided that the authentic voice of Dearborn students would provide the best answers. Here, a group of students from elementary school to graduating seniors share what powered their resilience as they faced down COVID along with their classmates and Dearborn staff. Referencing a new coping mechanism that he adopted during the pandemic, elementary student Nathaniel explains, “It’s a positive change that I have made in the last 14 months and something that I will do from now on.”
High School Class Reflections
Twelfth grader: Resilience means staying strong and not giving up even when times look bleak. It means to keep in mind that things can get better if you work hard enough, and to not let your doubts consume you.
Eleventh grader: Resilience happens all the time, sometimes without our knowledge. Resilience means never giving up, whether it be on purpose or involuntary. It means that when you fall you always make your way back on your feet, even if it takes time.
Elementary Class ReflectionsAt first, moving to online school was very different for me. But being home so much made me want to get outside and run around more. Even though my brother likes to stay inside, I still decided to go out and get fresh air. This made me realize that getting outside and being active helps with learning and mindset. It’s a positive change that I have made in the last 14 months and something that I will do from now on. By Nathaniel The Ocean As you feel the cool ocean water beneath your toes, you take time to enjoy your surroundings. You can see little kids splashing in the water, the sound of the ice cream truck and the ongoing sand castle contest bell going off. You look up to watch the mesmerizing sunset and you cheer as brightly colored fireworks go off in the distance. By Emily
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Twelfth grader: To me, resiliency means to keep going and pushing through hard things even if I don’t want to do it.
Ninth grader: Over the last year or so resilience has been popping up more and more. More people are overcoming things that they may have lost hope in for a while. One example would be people’s mental health. We went months where the most interaction we had with people who were not in our families was over Zoom. We are social beings, and we don’t function to the best of our abilities over Zoom. That takes its toll on people
Thankfully now we are seeing some relief as more people are getting vaccinated and the virus is letting up slowly. I think people are starting to enjoy the small things like local businesses and walking outside more and more because now more than ever they mean a lot.
Ninth grader: To me, resiliency means that I am amazing.
Tenth grader: Resilience to me means that you can try hard at anything no matter what.