2020-2021: School Year in Review

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020, forcing schools to operate remotely, no one knew what to expect. Online learning was unexplored territory, and stay-at-home orders prevented students from socializing or even leaving their homes. For many, the remainder of the 2020 school year was bleak and isolating—especially for the Class of 2020, who lost their last few months of high school to the virus. 

The new school year represented a fresh start. That September, students and faculty were able to enter the building for the first time since March 13, 2020, but school was different from how they left it. Those who attended school in-person returned to mask mandates, daily temperature checks, and one-way halls. Online students faced isolation, Groundhog Day Syndrome, and technology difficulties. 

Despite the turbulent circumstances, the NVOT community persisted in developing a sense of normalcy this school year (albeit one that included not just one, but three COVID-related shutdowns). The Class of 2021 even managed to make the year their own, though it may not have been exactly how they imagined their senior year would pan out. The 2020-2021 school year had both good and bad aspects, but, either way, it was truly a historic and memorable year.