This story is the first in a series by Grade 11 student Nicole T. After a successful World of Work experience in Grade 10, Nicole has returned to WAB's Communications Team as an intern. Keep an eye out for more of Nicole's work, as she shares her perspective in a series of WAB learning and community stories.

“I realized how happy school makes me.”  

Many WAB students have finally returned to WAB this school year after spending most of 2020 online. Some students were overseas for a long time, including Polly Lennie from Grade 10. 

Polly has been a part of the WAB community since kindergarten. When COVID struck, she was away from Beijing and had to do online learning in England for two years. Polly was extremely disappointed to be separated from her friends during the pandemic. 

“It was really hard to not be able to see my friends every day, and I had a new appreciation for all the things we did together, even the little ones,” Polly said. “All of my friends are like my family, and I felt like I was being taken away from them during this hard time.” 

For Polly, the hardest thing about starting online learning was the environment and the lack of motivation. 

“The change from a classroom to my own room was very sudden, and it took some time adjusting to it. Being stuck alone in my room made it very difficult for me to concentrate during the online lessons.”  

Polly’s experience was one that students around the world shared when schools closed due to the pandemic. Grade 11 student Aminah also initially struggled with online learning, but eventually adjusted with the support of the school and her peers.  

As online learning progressed throughout the school year, established structures and new routines became more familiar, allowing students to develop skills such as organization, time management, and even confidence in terms of contributing socially during class discussions. 

On top of academic learning and discussion, WAB also implemented social-emotional support through the counseling offices. 

“Counselors checked in with students online to see how they were coping and hosted regular individual meetings with students,” High School Counselor Natasha Tavares said. “Members of the Student Ambassadors Committee also reached out to students while they were online, and once they got to campus, they would show them around and answer questions,” she said. 

“I think my teachers were very flexible and helpful with me for online learning, so I think if they weren’t as understanding I wouldn’t be able to do online school as well as I did it,” Aminah said.  

“There were many teachers who really helped me through when times were tough,” Polly added. “They helped me organize things, gather the work that was sent to me, and helped me understand things in class.” 

Support from the counseling office continued beyond the online experience and into the student’s return to campus in 2021. 

“To help with the social-emotional elements of returning to WAB, we tried to be sure that students were supported in reconnecting with campus,” Natasha said. 

Both Polly and Aminah are thankful to WAB and theirs friends for supporting their transitions back to school. They have both have settled into campus life quickly. Polly joined volleyball, and Aminah is enjoying two student-run clubs advocating sustainability, art, and philanthropy. 

“It’s so awesome to be back! I just get so happy when I see my friends on the bus in the mornings and finally seeing my teachers in person on campus,” Polly said. “It feels like I never left, but maybe it’s because I’ve been at WAB so long so everyone here is like family to me.” 

High School Principal Melanie Vrba is as thrilled as the students to be back on campus and is optimistic about the situation continuing to improve. 

“This year, the high school plans to have all their students back on campus,” Melanie said. “Studying at WAB from abroad is not ideal for students. Both the students and the teachers did their best with a difficult situation through COVID-19 closures, but what we learned as a community is that learning is best when we can sit side-by-side and work together.”