By some miracle, school districts everywhere are approaching the end of the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year.

Appearing drastically different, with continually updated schedules, quarantines, and the strong performance of software programs such as Microsoft Teams and Schoology, this semester has been one to remember for students, teachers, administrators, and parents alike.

With several COVID-19 vaccines on the way, the light at the end of the tunnel is brighter than ever and it’s just about time to start looking past E-learning.

The detachment from in-person education is of course not ideal, however, I firmly believe that this semester could have gone much worse. Largely due to the continued reliability of Microsoft Teams and Schoology and the adaptability of teachers and administrators, learning from home is a more than worthy substitute for the typical style of learning across the country.

I believe that this semester has gone as smoothly as possible. Principal Dan Olson and administrator Liz Walhof have done an incredible job reaching out to students and making sure that Air Academy High School is still a productive learning environment even amidst a global pandemic.

E-mails sent to parents and students largely contribute to the feeling of inclusion and recognition during difficult times. Air Academy administration has continually made suggestions to teachers to be more mindful of student well-being, slowed the workload while still challenging students, and took the stress of finals week off of students’ shoulders.

Wednesdays have recently been made conference days, where regular classes are canceled and students can meet with teachers for extra help, completing makeup work, or studying for an upcoming test or quiz.

I believe that without the grace and understanding of our administration, our semester wouldn’t have gone nearly as smoothly.

To hear from a student member of the Air Academy community surrounding the status of E-learning, senior Jake Klohe stated, “E-learning for me had made classes harder because of the distractions that make class more difficult to pay attention to, but I think the semester could have gone worse.”

Yet another example of Air Academy administration working towards helping students is the district-wide distribution of laptops for high school, middle school, and some elementary school students. Students are encouraged to pick up a laptop from their school, where a charger, protective case, and tech help are included.

This distribution of laptops comes as a remedy to certain instances of unresolvable technology issues that made some students’ E-learning experience much more trying than some others’.

Junior Mason Birch believes that our new school environment has been improved by Air Academy administration, stating, “[Administrators] made it a lot easier. Cancelling finals relieves stress and the new Wednesday schedule allows me to catch up.”

From my observation as a student, this semester has been no cakewalk for administrators, teachers, or students, yet as I sit here writing, I can’t help but feel grateful that my teachers, peers, and family members have stayed safe during such an unprecedented year.