A year of rebuilding: Students and teachers reflect on a 'return to normal' in Massachusetts schools

As summer break arrives for many K-12 students in Massachusetts, there is a sense of relief: the past school year felt like a return to the pre-pandemic "routine" of 2019. There were no mask mandates or long school closures. Extracurricular activities and sports largely returned. Still, challenges lingered from residual effects of the pandemic.

WBUR’s education desk recently caught up with some students and educators across the state to reflect on what they celebrated and struggled with last year.

For Jimmy Merino, the theme of the school year was "rebuilding." Because there were no major disruptions related to COVID-19, Merino spent his junior year challenging himself with rigorous college-level classes and enjoying time with friends.

"Academically and socially we were all trying to find ways to recover and bring ourselves back together," he said.

"Academically and socially we were all trying to find ways to recover and bring ourselves back together."

Jimmy Merino, 17

Merino's high school years began on Zoom, as Chelsea Public Schools — like several other districts in the state — went entirely remote for most of the 2020-21 school year. Even 10th grade in the 2021-22 school year was met with mask mandates due to lingering COVID-19 surges.

He says he found the normalcy of this year "refreshing." It gave him the energy to find new ways to bring his classmates together. Next year, he wants to be involved in planning senior prom activities and pep rallies to help himself and his classmates continue to rebuild some of lost social and emotional connections.

Samuel Ricot graduated from New Heights Charter School in Brockton in June — with a bit of a head start for his next chapter. He spent senior year taking college courses at Massasoit Community College through his high school's early college program.

Ricot says he loved being able to learn in-person again with minimal disruptions. He adds that the time spent together with classmates and his teachers helped him realize just how strong his school community was.

"I could see how many people are here to support me and are here by my side, and what I'm really capable of when I apply myself," he said.

"I feel like, is it really college if you’re just going to be at home and be on a computer? Thank god I don’t have to do that."

Samuel Ricot, 18

Ricot will be attending Emerson College in the fall to study film and media arts.

"I’m looking forward to living on campus," he said. "I feel like, is it really college if you’re just going to be at home and be on a computer? Thank god I don’t have to do that. I’m really looking forward to being able to spread my creative wings."

If Jack Masciarelli could describe his first year of high school with one word, it would be "fun." He spent the last nine months participating in track and field and even playing saxophone with the Canton High School jazz band.

"The last few years have definitely been challenging because of COVID and not being able to totally go to school. This year was much easier."

Jack Masciarelli, 14

In many ways, Masciarelli says he feels lucky with timing, since a more regular school-going experience returned in time for him to start his freshman year.

"The last few years have definitely been challenging because of COVID and not being able to totally go to school," he said. "This year was much easier."

"People who just finished sophomore year [at my school], that class is a little more reserved," he added. "Their eighth grade year was 2020 to 2021. So that class was hit harder by [pandemic disruptions]."

Second-grader Leila Osho is still getting used to what it means to be in school every day. Her kindergarten year was mostly remote, and first grade was hard with mask mandates, very few group activities, and a bout of COVID that made her miss class events.

In a recent call with her mother nearby, she said, "During the pandemic we didn't have lunch or recess or snack together [with my classmates]. That made me sad and I missed them."

But second grade brought some refreshing change to Osho's routine. She made friends, learned how to read "bigger words," as she puts it, and even participated in Potter Road Elementary School's year-end field day, which included a "bouncy house" and obstacle course.

Osho says she loves going to school and learning. She's looking forward to making new friends next year when she enters third grade.

Maria Fernandes says the best part of the 2022-23 school year was having all of New Heights' six to 12th grade students back in the building, uninterrupted.

"Being remote was so hard for everyone," she said.

Fernandes works largely with students who take part in the school's early college program. One of her roles is making sure the school has the right partnerships in place with institutions of higher learning and supporting the students who enroll. She loves getting to know students each year on a personal level and watching them achieve their goals after graduation.

"We’ve seen an uptick in just mental health challenges with our students and staff. There’s just so much our students are dealing with outside of academics that it's been really tough."

Maria Fernandes

But while there was a sense of returned normalcy in the halls of the Brockton charter school this year, there have been some bumps in the road.

"We’ve seen an uptick in behavioral issues, we’ve seen an uptick in just mental health challenges with our students and staff," Fernandes said. "There’s just so much our students are dealing with outside of academics that it's been really tough."

Fernandes says she's looking forward to having some time to rest and rejuvenate over the summer. After that she can't wait to meet the new class of sixth graders when school restarts in the fall.

After 12 years of teaching second grade, Laura Weiss says she feels like she's in a good rhythm. This year, especially.

"It was like a huge weight off of my shoulders," Weiss said. "We’re not doing COVID testing weekly. There’s less heightened fears around things because we have more information. So I think kids have been able to get into a routine of what it is to be at school."

"I joke that this is my classroom. I love it, and I'm going to retire here."

Laura Weiss

But since most of her students attended pre-school and kindergarten remotely, Weiss says many needed extra help with certain social skills and reading development skills.

"I came into this really positively thinking that all of my students are going to make the benchmarks that we're looking for," Weiss said. But she added that she also knew there would be some students who would need more time and support.

Weiss also met one of her own personal goals for the school year by becoming conversational in Portuguese, so that she could better support English learners in her class and their families.

The year also felt invigorating for Weiss. She got to witness many of her students' "a-ha moments" and make meaningful connections, which helped her move past a sense of burnout during the pandemic. Today, Weiss will eagerly tell you she's in education for the long haul.

"I joke that this is my classroom. I love it, and I'm going to retire here," she said.