. . . when you continue going to school. ‘An acadmic ghost town’ by Molly Jameson (Year 8)

IS this the new normal? The type of normal where we see ourselves judging others for using their cars, going to the shops; muttering, ‘Is that essential?’ or ‘Where are they going?’

It shouldn’t be like this. If there is one good thing that I hope that will come out of this pandemic it is that we learn to be kind. We are all in this together. There is no escaping. Sometimes on sunny afternoons or rainy mornings, I find myself forgetting about the outside world; hiding away from our abnormal reality. The isolation of the walk to the bus stop before school or the line of people outside the pharmacy always brings me crashing back to reality.

Both of my parents work for the NHS. This is my story as I continue to go to school throughout this pandemic.

At first, the prospect of a small amount of my normal routine gave me a feeling of safety; that I could bury myself in a conventional environment but the silence of the corridors and locked up classrooms created an alienating effect not exactly the normal routine I had imagined. There was almost a sense of guilt that lingered too — that the teachers had to come in, away from their homes and families — it made me really appreciate them and the time they spent trying to create an enjoyable schedule for us to find comfort in.

Sometimes I find going to school hard. It can feel isolating when you know everyone else is at home. It feels so strange hearing the echoing of my footsteps through desolated hallways like a strange dream, but I’m so grateful for everyone that allows me to come to school and therefore allows my parents to work in their jobs for the NHS.

We start our day by working for two hours before having our standard break. We then have PE which consists of running laps, before heading back indoors to do another hour’s work. We then have lunch before another hour of independent learning. Then it’s home time. It can feel pressurising working without the normal environment of school but I know that the time and effort that I put in now will support me in the future.

If there is one good thing that I hope we will learn during these difficult times it is about how humans affect our planet. Already we have seen air pollution drop and I hope after this is over we will notice the impact on the earth and try to maintain it.

I also think another thing lockdown has created is a wider sense of community, for example, the clap for our careers has brought together streets and neighbourhoods with the simple display of appreciation and gratitude.

So again I ask is this the ‘new normal’? And in conclusion, I believe it is. We can pave pathways for our time after lockdown or focus on our mental health. We can make our ‘new normal’ into whatever we want but if there is one thing we need to remember it is: ‘In a world where we can be anything, be kind.’ (Caroline Flack)