Bay Area Class Of 2020 Coming To Grips With Coronavirus School Year Finality
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- Bay Area students in the class of 2020 are trying to adjust to the possibility that schools will stay shut down for the remainder of the school year.
"It's supposed to be my senior year, I'm supposed to make memories with my friends, have fun, and now all that's taken away from me," said Frankie Jimenez, a senior at Valley Christian High School in San Jose which cancelled classes last week, switching to online courses which students are logging onto on their iPads.
"It was really weird, just seeing my teacher on a screen and seeing my classmates on little boxes, it's just you only get 30 minutes with them so it's not really much of class. You're just hearing what you have to do for homework and that's it," Jimenez said.
"Our message to our students, stay engaged as much as possible with their learning," said Chris Funk, Superintendent of schools for the East Side Union High School District in San Jose. Funk said it's an especially tough time for students taking AP college exams. "I certainly hope the college board will postpone those tests until at least June or July," he said.
The possibility of the school year ending is real and decisions will be made next week Funk said.
But it's not all bad news.
"Every student passing their classes leading up to the closure will be able to pass their course and receive full credit. And we will not be extending the school year at this point," Funk said.
The shutdown is also affecting seniors about to take college tours.
"A lot of the admissions and college trips are going to be cancelled right now,"said Colin Richardson, a senior at Bellarmine College Preparatory.
"They're going to try to do a lot of virtual campus tours, but it's not the same as stepping onto the place where you might live for the next four years," Richardson said.
All spring sports were cancelled and other high school traditions are up in the air.
"We don't know if graduation is going to be cancelled, or if we're even going to be able to have a prom," Richardson said.
"That would really suck, not being able to walk the stage afer four years of going through all of this," Jimenez said.
Students are trying to stay positive, but they know the class of 2020 will be like no other.
"I didn't see my senior year ending like this," Jimenez said.
