HIGH SCHOOL COVIDENTIAL
Those in the Nepean High School Class of 2020, such as Anna Berglas, clockwise from top left, Russell Jean-Pierre, Fiona Haugen, Patrick Pearson, Declan McCloskey and Ellis Bissonnette, try to cope.
It’s sometimes difficult to stay focused on schoolwork when you know your marks can’t drop, Declan McCloskey says.
“That definitely has a little bit of an impact on your motivation,” said McCloskey. He was doing well in school and has already been accepted into the engineering programs at both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.
However, McCloskey likes to keep focused and has set himself a schoolwork schedule. “You do need something to do, and something to do is writing a big English essay.”
He’s carrying a heavy course load, taking calculus and vectors, physics, world history and English.
The courses are at about the same level of difficulty since they moved online, said McCloskey. However, students are missing many of the advantages of being in class with a teacher to answer their questions, he said. “A lot of students are shy. (They want) someone else to ask the question in class that they want to know the answer to, rather than getting the courage to send (it) in an email to the teacher.”
And watching a video of a lab experiment is a pale replacement for doing it yourself, he said.
McCloskey said he hopes universities understand that students graduating this spring after months of condensed online learning will not have the same knowledge as previous graduates. “I would hope they are not just going to leave students out to dry because of (our) online learning.”
His own path after high school is clear. His ultimate goal is to attend the Royal Military College of Canada and become a pilot in the Armed Forces.
McCloskey was heavily involved in extracurricular activities at Nepean, including acting as co-president of the Key Club, which raises money for local charities.
However, he has had no trouble filling his spare time these days since he’s also a leader in a cadet squadron.
Since the pandemic hit, McCloskey has been helping check on the well-being of younger cadets and producing online materials to keep them occupied while meetings are cancelled, from fitness tips to video challenges on how to care for uniforms and polish boots correctly.
Things will be back to normal soon, McCloskey said. In the meantime, he’s happy to follow orders on social distancing and other measures that will keep Canadians safe. “Any order they are making for the sake of public health, in my mind, is an excellent decision.” Jacquie Miller