Surely, everyone’s aware that this school year has not been the easiest one. It has been quite difficult to adapt to the current situation for most. As a junior high student myself, I can definitely say that it has been especially challenging for us, the lower classmen. It is nearly impossible to feel like a part of the school when you have not even been there or met your classmates and teachers in person. At this point, we thought there was no way of feeling included or meeting anyone outside the "classroom". We were hopeless due to the circumstances, but fortunately, we were wrong.
The GZAAT school culture committee arranged a Zoom meeting, where the lower classmen got to meet the students from higher grade levels. The gathering took place on January 29th and the main purpose of it was to allow all students to communicate with each other and feel included. Freshmen and junior high students had an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the school, while the upperclassmen shared their stories and experiences.
To get a better idea of what the students thought of the meeting we asked a few freshmen for their opinions.
Interviewer: What did you expect from this meeting and were your expectations met?
Ana Gvasalia: I assumed that it would be very boring and awkward at first, I thought no one would want to talk. My expectations were luckily wrong. Actually, it was really fun and I had a great time there. Everyone was open to speak, share their stories, and the environment turned out to be really friendly. I did not feel like I was talking to strangers, which I really liked.
Nino Ioseliani: Before joining the meeting, I was expecting an uncomfortable and awkward situation as well, but on the contrary, it turned out to be very informative and interesting. I had a lot of fun with the people I talked to and had a great time with the students, even if I did not know them.
Sofi Asatiani: I have already attended this kind of meeting earlier, at the beginning of the year, so I already knew what was coming. Last time it was very fun and enjoyable, that is why I was sure this time would not be any worse or different.
Interviewer: What was the best part of the meeting for you?
Ana Gvasalia: Personally, the best part for me was that it was both informative and fun. I learned several things about the school and what I might have to encounter in the future. The fun part was telling jokes, which helped us to get to know each other better.
Nino Ioseliani: I think the best part was talking about our favorite teachers, sharing funny stories, and laughing about our time together. It was nice to hear other students’ opinions about certain things and receiving advice from them, as they are more experienced.
Sofi Asatiani: I would say the whole meeting was the best part. By that, I mean gaining new kinds of knowledge about things interesting to me, meeting new people from my school, telling a bunch of stories, receiving answers to our questions, and much more. It was a nice way to have fun and learn something new at the same time.
Interviewer: Would you participate in this kind of meeting again?
Ana Gvasalia: I definitely enjoyed this experience a lot and would not even hesitate to participate in this type of meeting again.
Nino Ioseliani: I would love to join another meeting like this. Being there was very pleasant.
Sofi Asatiani: Yes, I will willingly participate in this kind of a meeting again. Of course, if there is an opportunity!
I myself attended the meeting and along with my fellow lower classmen would undoubtedly encourage everyone to participate in these kinds of activities in the future. Now that the communication and entertainment have been limited this has been a great way to get a feel of what it’s like to be a high school student, meet our schoolmates, hear their stories, and have fun overall.
Edited by Elene Berelashvili
Comments