The Class of 2028 is facing a whirlwind of change, from new technology policies to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These shifts are not only changing student life but also the way teachers approach learning. The Freshman Class of 2028 has experienced firsthand every step of the evolution and is currently learning how to manage it.
On September 4th, Head of Upper School Sarah Bates announced to the ninth grade students that they would need to turn in their phones at the beginning of the day. This change completely alters how students learn and their expectations for the school day. Bates said it will “absolutely going to sort of change the nature of teaching and learning, and we’re still trying to sort that out.” Bates highlighted the importance of adapting to the changes happening in the world around us and how that will shape the separate experiences of each grade. She stated, “The rise of technology and the evolution and development of technology is going to be really important for us to keep an eye on.”
Senior and Student Body President Reese Roaman notes, “We are in a technological revolution right now, with A.I. and artificial intelligence, so the entire preface of education is changing. How students learn and how they complete their work is completely different from when I was in ninth grade because now they have ChatGPT and all these different resources.” She then added the changes that this will prompt in the Poly community and what the critical response is. She emphasized, “We all have to adapt, and I think that definitely changes not only how we are going to learn but also how we will grow throughout the year.”
Freshman Charlotte Merchant emphasized her disagreement with the phone policy, saying, “I think for ninth graders specifically, we were all looking forward to having our phones in high school, especially for those of us at Poly Middle School.” Merchant highlighted how the phone policy is a disadvantage to freshmen looking to build good academic habits. “If they take away our technology when we are in the grade to make mistakes, we will never learn the responsibility we need for future grades.”
Alongside Merchant, this policy has prompted a variety of mixed responses from students. Freshman Grace King agrees with the initiation of the phone policy, stating, “I think it is really important for students to have their phones taken away, as it helps us focus on school and learn what makes us a good student by taking away a major distraction.” Students from other grades also notice the impact this new no-phone policy has had on the ninth-grade students and the Poly community as a whole.
The ninth graders’ academic route was particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as it happened when they were in fifth grade—this important year marked the major transition into their first year of middle school. This caused a loss of learning some important lessons, both socially and academically. “For those who are in Poly middle it’s also really formative years in terms of being able to connect with one another and to connect with your teachers. And [they] didn’t have that. So there are things that we’re noticing and that we’re seeing, that we need to be more deliberate and intentional and build in for you due to that,” stated Bates. This gap in skills is another challenge that the ninth graders face, forcing them to adapt in ways other grades never have.”
In addition to the unique challenges that threaten the Class of 2028, there is still the initial challenge of entering high school and the expectations that come with that. Upper School Dean and Girls’ Varsity Basketball Coach Cherkira Lashley, who started as a ninth grader at Poly, says, “Learning how to manage time, I think, is a big leap for our ninth graders. Even for middle schoolers in Poly, you have less free time. Speaking to my time here, I was so grateful to have access to the gym all the time. I would hardly use my free periods to study or prepare, and I would just play.”
Roaman adds, “The hardest grade for me was definitely freshman year, and I think it wasn’t necessarily the workload or the actual content that I was learning, but more so I wasn’t sure how I felt confident to approach my workload.” She includes the stress of working for yourself, instead of being guided in middle school, high school “changes your outlook on school overall.”
While entering high school has proved to be a daunting task, many members of the Poly community stress the importance of not putting too much pressure on ninth graders. Bates advises, “So you fail a quiz, you didn’t prepare enough for a test, you didn’t do as well as you wanted to, you didn’t make the varsity team on the first try. It’s okay.” It is clear that this year’s ninth graders are trying to catch their breath as their world changes right below their noses. Bates’ final piece of advice to the ninth graders was to “Be good to yourselves, both physically and mentally.”
