BSB is Back!
An article written by the BSB Reporters: Briony, Ilinca, and Veda
We can all agree that 2020 was no one’s year. Four months of online school stretched out for what felt like an eternity and we all desperately awaited the prospect of being back on campus.
When BSB announced the opening of its gates for a new academic year, us students were excited to no end. We’d anticipated such a moment for so long and suddenly, here we are!
So why does this feel so overwhelming?
The idea of meeting our friends after a difficult summer was refreshing and welcome. The majority had sparingly met up over quarantine, and thus, being unable to truly spend time with someone face-to-face did take a toll. Going back to School meant first and foremost seeing and spending time with our friends once again.
However, while being near friends is still a novelty in itself, the lingering sensation of discomfort still persists. Our learning environment isn’t what we are accustomed to and disruptions and inconveniences now await us in every classroom. Now having to wipe down chairs and tables with disinfectant before each lesson, struggling to hear our classmates and teachers through the plexiglass screens, and having to wear our masks most of the day (even in the heat of summer) soon makes us realise this is not an ideal situation for anyone.
And while the negatives of the situation remain painstakingly clear, why do we continue to pointlessly focus on them? Not a single one of us has gone through such a circumstance, and yet we still set high expectations of a reality that is clearly the new norm. Our school, for one, is continuing to balance our safety and need for education. The quality of learning has been sustained even now, with students choosing to study both inside and outside School. The effort necessary to create material that is comprehensible to both students at School and online is immense. Teachers have to lead classes while avoiding paper, offering equipment, and remove almost every aspect of interaction to keep us healthy. They now have to entirely plan ahead – for days, weeks and months as any given moment could require self-isolation.
It’s easy for us to complain about the mind-numbingly boring processes that take time away from our classes, but we tend to forget the monumental effort it took for us to be back in class in the first place.
Our high standard of learning is ensured by our teachers’ continued efforts in upholding our safety as well as our motivation and desire towards learning. Moreover, it’s not just the teachers putting in the hours, but rather the entire BSB team; the cleaning staff is persistently working towards keeping our school clean by sanitising the classrooms and dining halls so that we can continue our education in a safe environment. The cafeteria staff work in masks and protective clothing all day, even next to the heat of the ovens. The gatekeepers monitor and enforce social distancing rules all day and remind us to stay safe. We are so thankful to the BSB community for tirelessly working for our safe education.
Our take from the current situation as part of the BSB community is that we are as determined as ever to keep up our goals and achievements. Schools and teachers all around the world have been doing their best to get us students back in school in order to receive the best education we possibly can, therefore it’s only fair if in return we give the upcoming year all we’ve got. We won’t let the uncertainty of the future prevent us from doing and achieving the best we can. Even if online learning has to be resumed later in the year, we are persevering, and we will give it all we’ve got!
September 2020
Please note that the British School of Bucharest is not responsible for the content on external pages and, as usual, we advise you to monitor your children’s online activity.
