Dear Editor, 

With the switch in schedules second semester, we are getting rid of Wednesdays off. This day off was very beneficial to both students and teachers. It gave the students an opportunity to catch up on missing work and time to have a break from technology. For teachers it was an opportunity to catch up on grading. It was also beneficial that we talked with our advisory teacher. It created a good chance for students to let out their concerns about their lives to someone. The Wednesday meets were also a good check-in point to know that there are people at the school who care about you and your grades. 

Having Wednesdays off will be missed by many students and teachers. It was a good day to rest and to get ready for the rest of the week. 

Sarah Wingert, senior 

Dear Editor,

Like every year, there are some international students at different high schools in Green Bay.  This year I am an exchange student myself. The first semester did not go how we all pictured our high school year in the United States to go. It is hard for the new international students to make friends at school while having online school.

I think it is important that schools help those students to get involved and meet people even in this strange time with the Coronavirus to help them make the best of their time here in Wisconsin. It would be interesting to see what schools are doing to help them. Moreover, to see how the first semester this year has been for different exchange students.

Frederique Vermeij, international student

Dear Editor, 

I am writing this letter in regards to my reasoning on why it is so important that students return to school as soon as possible. This online schooling is coddling and preventing students from building proper organizational skills. Kids of all ages require some sort of schedule that pushes them to remain motivated throughout the day so that they can accomplish work. Without having to wake up and go somewhere, much like a job, kids remain in their homes, and in some cases their beds, demolishing any ambition to go the extra mile when doing anything. This generation is already proving to have less of a drive than generations before, and this online school is just adding to the lack of “get up and go” attitude that every student should obtain. 

Thank you. 

Sam Ruffell, senior 

Dear Editor,

Notre Dame will be switching to a new schedule that accommodates those who would like to be in person, be in a hybrid-schedule, and those who wish to stay virtual. Although this is a good idea in theory, I think that in the end no one will be satisfied with this decision. This schedule will cause chaos for teachers who are trying to teach the same thing to students who are on completely different schedules. Virtual students might also have a hard time contacting their teachers if they are teaching a class and can’t check their email. The number of Covid-19 cases hasn’t been going down either, so students in person all week have a big risk of catching the virus. In my opinion, this is a decision that might hurt a lot of teachers and students in their ability to teach and learn. 

Reese Van Pay, freshman

Dear Editor:

We’re returning to school in January and will apparently have a variety of mixed schedules. I think it’s going to be difficult trying to get used to being in school in person. . .no more falling asleep while my teachers call my name out. We can’t even just press a couple buttons and be done with class when we feel like it. It’ll just be way less convenient for people who don’t like the intimidation of having to participate in class face to face. On the other hand, I guess being face to face with the teachers will just encourage us to actually do our homework for those of us that haven’t really been doing so. 

I’m also going to miss being able to turn off my camera to run and get some food. We’ll be eating once a school day. Tragic. All around, it’ll just need some getting used to. I got way too used to having the liberty and freedoms of doing everything I could to be in class without actually being in class.

Fabiola Ruacho, sophomore

Dear Editor, 

Notre Dame has always been an institution of cleanliness and precision. That has not changed since Covid-19 has uprooted all students and families from the Notre Dame campus. As a student and having attended Notre Dame my entire high school career, I am astounded by the work that our maintenance department puts into keeping our school clean, organized and filled with genuine camaraderie between staff and students. Even as the pandemic continues to take away in-person interactions and major school events, the maintenance staff still work tirelessly to keep Notre Dame pristine for when we do return to in-person schooling. 

It is no doubt that our maintenance staff have their own families, duties and responsibilities outside of school that make this time of year especially important. With the risk of Covid-19, our maintenance staff face the sickness everyday by coming into the building when needed to make it clean for all those who enter. I speak for the NDA community when I say that our maintenance staff is doing God’s work, doing the jobs that no one else can. 

Meredith James, senior

Dear Editor:

As we approach the class of 2021 graduation, there are many uncertainties surrounding the event. I am hoping that a virtual graduation is not a consideration. Everything has been virtual this year, and a virtual graduation would not satisfy many students. Our high school careers should not end with an online ceremony. The administration has worked endlessly this year to come up with options surrounding schooling during the pandemic. I hope the administration continues to work on a solid plan for graduation that doesn’t involve an online ceremony. 

Sarah Rolain, senior 

Dear Editor:

Notre Dame football was rescheduled to the spring after our fall season was canceled because of the rising cases of Covid. It left me, and I’m sure the rest of the team, very upset, especially the seniors. I hope our teammates make an extra effort to keep safe because none of us want to lose the opportunity to play, and I’m sure everyone will because the feeling of our season being taken left us all unsatisfied and upset because of all the work we put in. We are all very thankful for getting another chance to play in the spring and are looking forward to coming back and getting right back to where we left off.

I’m sure all the coaches will do all they can so that we have a season, but right now there is no guarantee that it won’t get canceled again. It sucks for the junior class but even more because some of them are trying to play in college and missing a  year can really affect those chances. We just have to have faith.

Kai Huguet, junior 

Dear Editor:

Notre Dame Academy’s schedule will soon be changing to a schedule with a mix of students virtually learning every day, students going in between virtual and in person, and students learning in school 5 days a week, with each student deciding how to learn at the beginning of the new semester. This schedule will likely be difficult to adjust to for both students and staff and might see students regretting their decisions with no going back. Students seemed confused with the previous hybrid schedule, so merging the virtual and hybrid schedules with an extra group of students thrown in will be even more confusing. If a student were to choose to stay virtual and later regretted it, they would have no way of switching to their desired schedule. 

I do believe that even with all of the confusion this schedule might cause, the school is likely doing its best. This schedule might end up being a lot simpler and efficient than it might seem. 

Riley Guyette, sophomore

Dear Editor:

In January Notre Dame will have kids coming to school either full time, 2-3 days a week, or completely virtual. This will change the whole schedule. In September NDA tried having two different schedules at once, and it took around 20 minutes to start class. With three different schedules, it will be even more difficult to get classes started. As a student, this takes away from our time to work, something that is precious to students who are getting a lot of homework during this time.

CoCo Guiou, freshman

Dear Editor,

Page 21 of the NDA handbook states that plaid uniform skirts will be available for the 2020-21 school year. However, they have not yet been released for student purchase on the approved Land’s End school store. Throughout my four years at NDA, I have not once seen any change to the dress code as drastic as this.

As a female student, I am disappointed to see such a monumental uniform change skipped over this year. I understand that students have not been in school due to the Covid-19 pandemic and therefore are not required to wear uniforms, but with the upcoming opportunities of fully in-school or hybrid learning, I am interested to know the reason for the delay. I also understand that the handbook states “(when available)” after approving plaid skirts, but second semester will soon be upon us. As a senior girl, I would be very glad to see the skirt released, especially after the unpredictable first semester we have had. I think I speak for many female NDA students when I say that this seemingly small change to the dress code would delight us greatly after years of only wearing plain skirts. 

Lainey Chosa, senior

Dear Editor:

The NDA Chinese Club has decided to continue its activities this year, unlike some other clubs. Activities such as online cooking classes, mahjong, ping pong, and many others are available for students to be active in. Game Week, an event set up by leaders of the club, has been a great way for students to connect. 

As a member of the club, I appreciate all of their efforts in trying to unite everyone in this new online world. The people in charge of the club have done well in organizing events and reaching out to everyone. I think they’ve done an excellent job in trying to help students be involved with the school and interacting with their classmates. 

Francesca Casis, sophomore

Dear Editor,

Notre Dame Academy has been online learning for the past few months because of the current pandemic situation in our area. In October, going online was the best option for the rising COVID-19 numbers and we felt sort of prepared because of the time in the spring our school spent online. Sadly, students have felt overwhelmed by the workload and unmotivated to complete assignments. While I understand that staying home is for the safety of ourselves and others, I am thankful that the school administration is giving students the option to come back to school in the New Year. Teachers leading classes and clubs have been very efficient to keep everything on its feet while staying over Zoom. Thank you to the teachers and faculty at Notre Dame Academy for their efforts during this hard year.

Eleanor Grosvenor, sophomore 

Dear Editor,

In January, Notre Dame will switch to a schedule that combines online, hybrid, and in-person learning. Every student and their family will decide which option they will do, so everyone will have a different experience at school. The administration decided on this schedule as a compromise to please everyone. However, a schedule with so many different options will not work well. It simply isn’t practical for teachers. The students that want to be all in-person want school to go back to normal, but choosing the in-person option won’t make anything normal again due to regulations and accommodations for online/hybrid students. 

While the administration’s commitment to making everyone happy is applaudable, the only schedule that will work is one where everyone is either online or in-person like it is a regular school year. This “trying time” will continue to be trying if schedules keep changing and students are never given any consistency to rely on. It is not possible to please everyone, so a schedule that actually works in a learning environment (despite some people’s concerns and complaints) is the only way forward. 

Autumn Mayer, junior

Dear Editor: 

For years the dress code at Notre Dame has required skirts must be worn to the knee. However, shorts can be up to 4 inches above the knee. The difference is quite stark. It is much easier to tell when clothing reaches the knee compared to a specific number of inches above the knee. Therefore, many girls wearing skirts that are not in line with the official dress code are more likely to get caught and receive a detention than someone wearing shorts that are also too short. Also, it can be difficult to find skirts that fit the dress code, especially for people who have long legs.

What is the reason for skirts needing to be longer than shorts? Both articles of clothing tend to ride up, so why does one need to be longer than the other? Skirts should be the equal length as shorts because it is unfair that skirts have to be longer.

Tressa Martzke, senior

Dear Editor, 

All of middle school, we were told in high school we will make new friends and socialize, but social distancing makes it impossible to meet new people as a freshman. In hybrid school, you can only see the people on your side of the alphabet. From those names you can only meet new people that are in your classes since lunch in the cafeteria and some people’s extracurriculars are taken away. From the people on your side of the alphabet that are in your classes, you can only socialize with the people sitting next to you since we can’t do group projects or move around the classroom very much. This makes it almost impossible to meet new people. Though social distancing is necessary and needed, it makes the high school experience freshmen were told about completely different. 

Sydney Berndt, freshman

Dear Editor,

Notre Dame Students will be learning a third new schedule for this school year, in January. As a student of Notre Dame Academy, I would like to see the Wednesday, no-class day, stay instead of go. Even though we will be going back to school, we will have to push ourselves to get to where we need to get to by the end of the school year. The first week of school in December has been pushing the students so far to do more than they have done in the past couple of months during quarantine. If this continues, I believe that other students as well as myself will be getting mentally exhausted in the first couple of weeks in February. 

I know the faculty members have ideas and suggestions, and a lot of stress on deciding if this is the best for them and for their students. I am just speaking my mind on what I think would be best for other NDA students.

Maxwell Baek, junior

Dear Editor:

As a freshman at NDA this year has been a struggle with all the concerns going on throughout the start of the school year. Adjusting to all the standards this year has been tough, especially by doing it virtually, but I know the school is doing this for our personal health and safety which I appreciate because considered to last year’s circumstances the school has this way more under control than last school year for me, other than all the new material we have to learn. 

As a student, one thing that I have learned to use during my time at home is the Wednesday study days. They come in handy because almost every class period teachers assign homework, and it’s a good day to finish up your assignments and know what’s going on with your advisory teachers. Now that we are going back to school this January I really hope that we do not lose these workdays. 

I know I am not the only one who feels this way, and I speak for many students that need this day to catch up so everyone can be successful.

Connor Nelson, freshman

Dear Editor: 

The Spanish Club plans to continue their club activities even during Covid-19. It planned to start the activities around November 9th to the 20th. Although it will be virtual only it is still a great club to join. 

The Spanish Club at Notre Dame is a great way for students to learn Spanish and spend time together. Mrs. Stover is the one in charge and provides this great opportunity. Spanish Club is open to anyone who wants to join and helps connect all of the different grade levels. It presents a different and fun way to learn more about the subject outside of class. During meetings there are all different types of Hispanic snacks that are served to the members. The students also watch different movies that teach more about Hispanic traditions and culture. 

Mya Hollihan, sophomore  

Dear Editor:

Notre Dame Academy, will be switching to another new schedule in January, the one where some students will be in the building 5 days a week, others will be here for 2 or 3 days a week, and the final group will be online all the time. I feel like the majority of students have to agree with online school because that was the only option we were presented with. Every student has their own way of learning that works best for them. Some learn visually; others do better when they learn by doing class discussions, etc. This increases student interaction and the diversity of opinion because everyone gets a say, not just the most talkative. 

Online teachers  need to consider the needs of less-engaged students and work to engage them. Online classes might be made to work for these students on average, even if they have not in the past. Online learning is generally not as effective as in-person classes, but they are certainly better than no classes.

Katie Vercauteren, junior

Dear Editor, 

I want to say Carolyn Brown has done wonderful in online learning. She never assigns a lot of work to do and she explains it thoroughly before giving the class time to work on it. It doesn’t feel like you are overwhelmed with the homework and having time in class to do helps in lessening the workload. Journalism has been a nice class to take online because of this. 

Kaelynn James, Class of 2021