At 8:50 a.m. this morning, the sound of the bell sending excited students scurrying to their classes was replaced by a silent, solitary first day of school.

Although a virtual start is vastly different from a traditional school year, welcoming sentiments were abound as teachers and students got to know each other through Zoom calls during the first 15 minutes of class.

“It’s really important to us that you become active members of school with us this year,” Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer said in a message to students last friday. “I really want to try to make you a part of this school community, because teachers haven’t had an opportunity to know you yet. We need your help, we need your engagement and we need you to let us help you learn.” 

As teachers have had more time to prepare for distance learning, the curriculum structure for the new school year is much different from last spring. Students are expected to join Zoom calls everyday, and schoolwork will mimic normal school hours. Assignments will also be posted at 8 a.m. each day and students must complete them before midnight through Schoology to fulfill attendance requirements.

“A lot of the preparation came from the administration and they do such a good job putting the student first,” AP Environmental Science teacher Maxx Lazos said. “I really hope the kids understand how much they have to do. They gave us all the resources to prepare.”

Although students are not required to attend the Zoom sessions, they are highly encouraged to do so as it is an opportunity to build strong relationships with the teachers.

“It’s a good structure because it’s kind of like how classes work in person,” CHS senior Maya Shah said. “The teacher would talk for a little bit and we would do our own work.”

To CHS senior Samidha Menon, being a part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program made it easier to go through introductions as many classmates and teachers remained the same.

“It’s definitely weird over Zoom because it’s a lot harder to get the feel of the class,” Menon said. “I have some of the same teachers as last year, so for IB seniors it’s a lot easier doing online. It’s harder to go into zoom classes and not know anybody, because it’s a little awkward.”

Although Zoom sessions are allowing for interactions between students and teachers, distance learning is making collaboration harder to facilitate.

“I’m interested in seeing the ratio of individual assignments to how much teachers are talking to the class,” Menon said. “I learn best by having class discussions, so one downside to online learning is that we might end up doing a lot more individual assignments.”

The theme for the new school year is “CHS Relentless” and students and staff are encouraged to be relentless in their efforts to build a successful year. Learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic will require flexibility, but CHS is committed to ensuring that all needs are taken care of.

 “There are going to be some things we try that are not going to work at all,” Lazos said. “It’s just about trust and flexibility. As long as we stay malleable and have a positive attitude, it doesn’t matter what we do in class, because if you come ready to learn, you’re going to be ready for anything.”