This year, students, staff, parents and teachers alike have gone through an unprecedented time, so it’s not a surprise that our education has been altered as a result. What is a surprise, however, is how underprepared Staples has left its current and future students. 

When I reflect on getting ready to enter high school as an eighth grader, I remember speaking with my guidance counselor and teachers constantly about the types of workloads I would be getting, what would be expected of me as a student and how to properly prepare for the transition during the summer. Since we are not in school, how will we get this sort of candid information now? 

Throughout this quarantine, I have noticed a serious lack of communication from teachers in respect to the end of this year and the start of the next. While of course, the Staples staff cannot predict what will happen in four months time and there is no clear plan as to how or when we will return to Staples, guidance counselors need to take a more serious approach as to how to better prepare students, particularly eighth-graders and sophomores, for the upcoming academic year.

Incoming freshmen are left at a serious disadvantage, as they do not have the same opportunities my grade had to speak with and ask questions to Staples students and staff before graduating. Moving into high school from middle school is a huge step up in work and requirements. Without leadership from Staples staff and even students, the current eighth-graders will likely be left seriously unprepared for the more rigorous pace set by high school teachers.