The end of the first quarter of the 2021-22 school year was October 26. As described by students and staff at FHS, this was the first quarter of school back to normalcy.

Students compare the first quarter to last year taking into account the amount of uncertainty and effects of COVID.

“I think it was kind of a rude awakening for me because I haven’t really had much of a normal high school experience,” junior Eric Opara said.

Opara speaks on how the inexperience of uniformity has affected him.

“I was expecting us to return back to online or a hybrid method during the first quarter so I never really knew what was coming,” Opara explained.

The uncertainty in the first quarter caused a lack of confidence and added in some confusion which may have affected work quality. Other students feel that there is less confusion on topics and the return to normal has improved work quality.

“There is definitely more work this quarter because the teachers are trying to get caught up with how much we have missed,” sophomore Rachel Merrin said.

Merrin speaks about how the workload is higher but it is also easier because of actually being in the building.

“I’m actually doing a lot better because of the extra help,” Merrin continued.

She spoke about activities that took place during the first quarter that hadn’t been able to take place last year such as homecoming and sporting events and how grateful she was for them to have been able to take place.

“Teachers last year were a whole lot more lenient on work and stuff because of COVID but they are starting to get tougher if that makes sense,” senior Izzy Bowers said

Bowers explains that the teacher leniency and acceptance from their freshman year is starting to return this year especially in the first quarter. Teachers have expressed their opinions on the first quarter and what they have described as drastic differences.

“This quarter has been much better considering being able to get to know students,” math teacher Mrs. Cole said.

Actually being in-person brings a better connection with students rather than last year where there was really no room to make those important connections. Cole explains that getting to know a student can improve the willingness to ask for help when it is needed.

“I know for science students, many of them had labs they had to skip and they weren’t really getting the whole lesson,” Cole notes.

Comparing to science classes, Mrs. Cole had to skip over content for lack of time and complexity to teach while not in person. She is trying to cover the missed content during this year.