• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Bishop Robert Barron
          • George Weigel
          • Question Corner
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Suzanna Molino Singleton
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Paul McMullen
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Father T. Austin Murphy Jr.
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • CR Radio
  • Printing
  • Subscribe

Class of Covid: The overlooked graduates of the class of 2020

Robyn Barberry May 19, 2020
By Robyn Barberry
Filed Under: Blog, Unconditional

As the strangest school year in modern history draws to a close, many of us have lamented the losses felt by the high school and college seniors who should be exchanging their farewells, walking across stages and holding big graduation parties with all of their loved ones, but will be celebrating this momentous occasion in quarantine, instead. My heart breaks for them, but I’d like to take the opportunity to recognize other graduates who are missing out on major milestones in their young lives.

I was planning on attending the eighth grade graduation for my former students at St. Joan of Arc School in Aberdeen.

St. Joan of Arc is a small, one-track school, which means most members of this small class have been in class together every day since they learned how to write their names. This is an experience unique to private schools. I had the privilege of teaching them art for five years, as well as sixth grade language arts. They are a very studious, yet very creative group of young people and, in many ways, like a dream class you might see in a movie. Their graduation would be the last time they would share the “dream class” identity before splintering off to separate high schools. I was looking forward to celebrating one final Mass with them, but I can still pray for each one of them from home on their graduation day. It does make it easier to know that I will be seeing some of them at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, where I now teach.

Collin, my oldest, should be graduating from fifth grade. His situation is unusual because he transferred to public school toward the end of fourth grade. He doesn’t share the bond that the kids at his small, rural school have had with each other since kindergarten, but he does miss a few friends he’s made and is sad that he will probably never see them again because he is not moving on to the same school as they are.

Most fifth graders (at least the ones I know) don’t have phones, so Collin doesn’t have any of their numbers and for obvious security reasons, the school can’t give them out. Quarantine has been particularly isolating for Collin and other kids his age who live “in the middle of nowhere” and don’t have social media. Fortunately, Collin still keeps in touch with his St. Joan of Arc friends and will be joining them in the fall.

Leo is in the final stretch of kindergarten and I can’t help but feel that he’s had a piece of his childhood stolen. Although kindergarten has become more rigorous since I was five in the late 1980s, it’s still a place to have fun and make friends first and learn second.

Leo and I complete his online work, by watching videos of his teacher and completing some basic assignments, but there is no circle time or show and tell. There’s no raising your hand to ask the teacher a question or contribute a non-sequitur to class discussions. There are no trips to the art room, the music room, the gym and the library. The hardest moment for Leo came the other day when I gave him his rest mat towel to use for the pool. It has a tractor and his name embroidered on it.

“I can’t use that,” he said. “I need that for rest time at school.”

I had to explain to him that he wouldn’t have rest time in school anymore. He didn’t take it well.

“I’m not ready for first grade!” he said. Kindergarten graduation, it seems, is the hard line that separates little kids from big kids.

Leo isn’t the only one who is missing out on an end-of-school ceremony. Teagan, three, should be putting on a performance with her preschool classmates, which is no small undertaking! Today, I went to pick up her belongings and saw her teacher, Miss Sharon, who, after five years of teaching Barberry kids, has become like family to us. It breaks my heart that Teagan’s year with Miss Sharon and Miss Robin had to be cut short and that I won’t get to hear Teagan and her friends sing “This Little Light of Mine” on the altar at their graduation. Maybe some day next school year, I will have the chance to drop Teagan off to her four-year-old class and see her and her friends exchange one of their big group hugs.

My hats go off to all graduates of all grades everywhere. In enduring this, you have gained wisdom, skills, patience, and appreciation that will guide you everywhere you go. Perhaps, consider this motivation to graduate from something else again some day! The stage is waiting for you!

 

 

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Robyn Barberry

Robyn Barberry

Robyn Barberry is married to her high school sweetheart, Patrick. They are raising four imaginative and adventurous children, one of whom has autism.

Robyn teaches English at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore and is a former art and language arts teacher at St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen, where she worships with her family.

Robyn earned an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College in 2011 and she has been blogging for the Catholic Review since 2012. If she could have dinner with any living person, it would be Pope Francis.

View all posts from this author

Recent Commentary

Burial in non-Catholic cemetery/ Anxious as death draws near

Doing the impossible

The fish-stick dilemma

Washing dishes for Lent

We need rituals to mourn

Recent Local News

Social Ministry honoree brings Latin America experience to migrant issues

One year in: Families, institutions adjust to ongoing pandemic

Our daily bread: Irish tradition enjoyed on more than St. Patrick’s Day

RADIO INTERVIEW: How to pick a Bible translation

Homebound, Operation CRS Rice Bowl nonetheless raises awareness of hunger

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Bishop Rhoades: Latest COVID-19 vaccine can be used in good conscience
  • Burial in non-Catholic cemetery/ Anxious as death draws near
  • Social Ministry honoree brings Latin America experience to migrant issues
  • Movie Review: ‘Tom & Jerry ‘
  • Doing the impossible
  • ‘Finally,’ pope says he will be able to make pilgrimage to Iraq
  • Pope taps Newark cardinal as member of Congregation for Bishops
  • The fish-stick dilemma
  • Washing dishes for Lent
  • Retired pope talks about his resignation, Pope Francis’ trip to Iraq

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2021 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED