In a normal year, 2020 would have been a year where sixth graders would have transferred from elementary to middle school in person. But now sixth graders are stuck at home.

Losing their friends from elementary and starting at a new school is causing sixth graders to be less social. “I feel weird transferring from elementary to middle school because I have no more contact with my old friends,” Adrian Figueroa, a sixth-grader, said. Figueroa and many other students agree that this is not what they expected to be experiencing this year.

Some students prefer to be in school rather than online. One of the many challenges that sixth graders have faced is adapting to new teachers.  “It has been difficult, because I have to memorize [the] names of my teachers,” Jonathan Bravo, a sixth-grader, said. Jonathan believes the pandemic is not helping them settle into middle school. 

Some sixth graders were asked what their ideal sixth-grade year would be. “I feel like if the pandemic didn’t exist I would have talked to everyone but this has caused me to become less social,” Grecia Robles, a sixth-grader, said. 

 A lot of the sixth graders agree that this is not what they expected to be experiencing but they are making the most out of it. “Social distance learning has affected me in many ways; Internet issues have been a major [factor], making me be late, or not being able to turn in assignments, it also prevents me from hearing important things my teacher has to say,” Anthony Padilla, a sixth-grader, said. 

One of the major aspects they have struggled with during remote learning is the internet. Many of the students went from studying with books to now completely online not knowing the issues they’d have. Many have also missed class because of technology issues. 

However, something that sixth graders are excited about is the mentorship program. “I feel great because I do need help with my homework,” Denisse Irinero, a sixth-grader, said. Students are excited about receiving support from peers at school. A lot of them want to learn about the high school experience. 

Some are happy to interact and make friends. “Well honestly, that is a great idea for kids that tend to get lost easily, because sometimes teachers go too fast,” Gabriela Quintanilla, a sixth-grader, said. Although many have struggled with the pandemic, they have found ways to make it through the first semester.