Friday, March 13, 2020. A day to remember for students, teachers, and parents in the St. Charles School District. This was the very last day for student and teachers at school before they all had to go virtual. This forced students and parents to become at-home students and teachers. When students and teachers were asked how their mental health has been during this past year of the COVID pandemic, the answers varied from sad to happy to mad.

As 2020 was a year of trials and tribulations, people had a lot of different emotions about it. Junior Kayla Arnold shared how COVID affected her birthday, which a lot of people are slowly starting to understand.

“I’ve had mixed feelings about COVID-19. April 17th, 2020 was my 17th birthday and I couldn’t go out with my family and meet up for dinner. This year for my 18th, I still won’t be able to,” Arnold said. “My grandparents have been closed off in their home away from everyone to be safe. I haven’t seen them since all of this stuff started.” 

The past 12 months gave people lots of scares for millions around the world, and as a large percentage of people were locked in their homes, {insert link to other covid related stories} people had to make sure they were caught up on all the news that was going on this crazy world this year as well as the last. 

On top of being in lockdown, most people were not able to really hang out with their friends. And when students and teachers were asked if they hung out with any of their friends or other family members they don’t live with, most of the people that answered that they only saw those people a few times. 

Guidance Secretary Sharon Stewart elaborated on her answer. 

“I have a ‘COVID Bubble’ of people who I continued to be around because they were family and/or a good friend who I knew was practicing good behavior with all of this and not getting exposed in public places.” 

Millions of people have been affected by the COVID virus, however most people that responded to the survey agreed that if people stick together, help each other out, and do the right things to keep each other safe from the COVID virus, then people can make it through this pandemic.