The past year has been a whirlwind, now we are back at school and still adjusting to our new norm. For both students and teachers the 2020-2021 has not been a walk in the park, we are all more than ready to move on from last year. 

Though the mask mandate remains, the school is slowly reverting to its pre-pandemic life. For example, the cafeteria is open for “through traffic”, sports are allowed to have spectators, the Java Nook is (supposed to be) open. The Wilmington Friends School is slowly returning to normalcy, and the students are eager and excited to have lives that are not completely taken over by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

There is one major change that is throwing everyone for a loop, something that has never been done before. The new and improved schedule. Instead of a day filled with 50 minute blocks, we now have the addition of two 70 minute blocks in our schedule. The administration did not stop there, each Wednesday we now start 45 minutes later. Ronnie Petrucci ‘22 said, “I do not like the new schedule. I would rather have the one from freshman and sophomore year.” Though sleeping in is nice, it is taking time for everyone in the highschool to get used to. Moving forward, the teachers and staff will continue to help students navigate this unknown time. 

No student will be complaining about the later start, but it is taking time for everyone to adjust. Greta Munch ‘25 said, “I like that some of our classes are 50 minute classes because it allows us to get settled in and start our class on a more positive note rather than rushing into the lesson. That being said, some days are harder than other… However, our teachers are very understanding of this big transition and are very patient with us as we get used to it.”