Interview by Francesca Toews
The Falconer was able to interview a younger, fully remote Mashpee student in order to understand the struggles of being a second grader amidst a pandemic. Before becoming a fully remote student, this seven year old loved wearing flashy clothing to school and having playdates with her friends, although recently she has had to resort to Zoom calls instead. But despite missing her friends, she has found other ways of amusing herself such as playing with her brother’s cat, Squawky, and has grown closer to her family more than ever.
Q: How has remote school been?
A: It’s been nice and not nice, because in school you can do stuff you don’t do in real school, like you can wear your pajamas to school and slippers. You don’t have to wear shoes. It’s been nice remote schooling, but it’s still not nice because I miss my friends at school.
Q: What has been your favorite thing about remote school?
A: The breaks between classes
Q: What has been your least favorite thing about remote school?
A: My least favorite thing is when Squawky [the household cat] goes on my lap when I’m trying to do work.
The Falconer was able to interview a younger, fully remote Mashpee student in order to understand the struggles of being a second grader amidst a pandemic. Before becoming a fully remote student, this seven year old loved wearing flashy clothing to school and having playdates with her friends, although recently she has had to resort to Zoom calls instead. But despite missing her friends, she has found other ways of amusing herself such as playing with her brother’s cat, Squawky, and has grown closer to her family more than ever.
Q: How has remote school been?
A: It’s been nice and not nice, because in school you can do stuff you don’t do in real school, like you can wear your pajamas to school and slippers. You don’t have to wear shoes. It’s been nice remote schooling, but it’s still not nice because I miss my friends at school.
Q: What has been your favorite thing about remote school?
A: The breaks between classes
Q: What has been your least favorite thing about remote school?
A: My least favorite thing is when Squawky [the household cat] goes on my lap when I’m trying to do work.
Q: Do you miss going to school?
A: Yes and no, because I don’t want to be sick and stuff, and sometimes being in school is just a little annoying because you hear noises all the time
Q: Why do you miss school?
A: I miss school because I miss my friends.
Q: Are you going to miss remote school when you go back?
A: Yes and no. Yes because Squawky and I like having breaks and I like being with my family, but I want to be with my friends.
Q: Do you find it hard to sit through Zoom classes?
A: Yes, because there’s toys all around me, I can have conversations with my siblings and mom, and there’s food all around me.
Q: What do you do to keep yourself focused during Zoom class?
A: I turn on the heater to keep me warm and Squawky usually meows so I give him treats and that keeps him quiet
Q: Have you had any contact with your friends?
A: Yes.
Q: How have you stayed in contact?
A: I’ve been calling them, and I’ve been seeing them.
Q: What do you do when you call?
A: I play Roblox, play with Squawky with them, or dolls.
Q: What is Roblox?
A: Roblox is a game with a bunch of games on it, and you can play them with your friends and you can text them, but my mom won’t let me text, and I have to sit with someone
Q: What’s it like not being able to have normal play dates?
A: It’s kinda sad because we can’t come in houses, unless you sanitize and stuff, and you can’t take off your mask. It’s just I like play dates without masks, but corona.
Q: What is the first thing you're going to do when You can see your friends without masks?
A: We might go to the ice cream place, maybe go shopping, and hug, and make a new handshake because right now we can’t do the handshake because we can’t touch.
A: Yes and no, because I don’t want to be sick and stuff, and sometimes being in school is just a little annoying because you hear noises all the time
Q: Why do you miss school?
A: I miss school because I miss my friends.
Q: Are you going to miss remote school when you go back?
A: Yes and no. Yes because Squawky and I like having breaks and I like being with my family, but I want to be with my friends.
Q: Do you find it hard to sit through Zoom classes?
A: Yes, because there’s toys all around me, I can have conversations with my siblings and mom, and there’s food all around me.
Q: What do you do to keep yourself focused during Zoom class?
A: I turn on the heater to keep me warm and Squawky usually meows so I give him treats and that keeps him quiet
Q: Have you had any contact with your friends?
A: Yes.
Q: How have you stayed in contact?
A: I’ve been calling them, and I’ve been seeing them.
Q: What do you do when you call?
A: I play Roblox, play with Squawky with them, or dolls.
Q: What is Roblox?
A: Roblox is a game with a bunch of games on it, and you can play them with your friends and you can text them, but my mom won’t let me text, and I have to sit with someone
Q: What’s it like not being able to have normal play dates?
A: It’s kinda sad because we can’t come in houses, unless you sanitize and stuff, and you can’t take off your mask. It’s just I like play dates without masks, but corona.
Q: What is the first thing you're going to do when You can see your friends without masks?
A: We might go to the ice cream place, maybe go shopping, and hug, and make a new handshake because right now we can’t do the handshake because we can’t touch.