My name is Ashley Kalloch and I am an eighth-grade student at Hall-Dale Middle School. The pandemic has affected schools almost more than anything else. Now in schools most children can only go physically to school two days a week and have to do virtual learning on a computer three days a week. Some kids have special permission to go to school four days a week and only have to do virtual learning on Wednesdays.

We have to wear masks all day, except for when we get a mask break twice a day. It’s different for everyone, but for me personally virtual learning is pretty hard, especially doing math without seeing the teacher to show you how to do it. I have to physically see something in person instead of on the computer to actually understand it.

A lot of our school sports got cancelled because of the coronavirus, which made a lot of kids that like doing sports kind of sad. I hope COVID-19 goes away soon so I can play school basketball again next year!

I also want to be able to have my family over to my house for Christmas like we always used to do. That was always my favorite time of the year because I would get to spend time with my family. I feel bad for all of the people that have families in nursing homes because they can’t really go in and see them — it must be pretty hard not being able to see your family on holidays.

We can’t let COVID-19 control us though; we don’t have to stay in our houses forever, even if it’s just a walk on the side of the road where there’s not very many people, or if it’s just walking outside of your house to shovel the steps or to clean up the yard for your parent or family.

Ashley Kalloch

Farmingdale