With the vast majority of parents struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic, students are dealing with disappointing grades, technology issues and a routine that no longer exists. And like many school districts across the tri-state, Hopkins County Schools are making an extra effort to provide tutoring for students needing to catch up.
"When Covid first started coming,” said Olivia Burris, a senior at Madisonville North Hopkins High School, “We were really scared and we didn't have hope for what school would look like.”
Last year, many students did not get the chance to walk at graduation, but as the pandemic stretches into 2021, the new fear for some students is whether their grades will be good enough to graduate at all, after adjusting to so many different models of learning.
"We've seen a struggle with students not being able to recover their grade from not getting that one on one with their teacher,” said Alaina Lancaster, director of secondary instruction for Hopkins County Schools.
"I feel like one of the biggest problems for me and my friends when we were online was procrastination,” Burris said.
And teachers have been working in overdrive to make sure any seniors struggling do walk.
"We are desperately trying to work with our students,” said Dr. Linda Gigliette, a physics teacher at Madisonville North Hopkins High School. “We want them to do well.”
"If that means through Zoom or FaceTime or phone call or home visit on the porch,” said Jennifer Luttrell, the director of elementary instruction and early childhood programs for Hopkins County Schools. “They are making those meaningful connections with students and their families."
New, this school year in Hopkins County -- they are providing a night program for middle school and high school students to raise those grades and catch up on their work.
"We've had anywhere from 30 to 60 a night in a middle school or high school,” Lancaster said.
Students struggling are encouraged to reach out for help.
"I'm not just talking about getting a grade for the sake of getting a grade,” Gigliette said. “I'm talking about actually understanding the material."
