By Tatiana ‘21
This school year seems to be full of new experiences. My senior year is starting off online and I am crossing my fingers that we end with a hybrid model. Additionally, the upper school has transitioned to a new block schedule. It includes a 50-minute “Community Flex Time” block once per cycle for community activities and events. For about an hour during the middle of the day, we congregate as a community. In this world of distance learning, the school will use this time each week to broadcast a webinar to all upper school students. Our first Community Flex Time served as an introduction to the new school year with remarks from many members of the administration and as a time to address the important work of our office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Not only did they address the Anti-Racism plans for Harvard-Westlake, they also had a presentation on what being a leader for change means and looks like. I appreciated that the administration took some time to address the school as a whole even if it was only for a short amount of time
One of the most difficult things about online school is not being able to interact with people on campus. Although teachers and faculty have always kept us updated via email and social media, seeing them talk live during this shared time brought some sense of normalcy. Even though it was over Zoom, seeing faculty’s faces helped me feel like I am in school. The presentation was very impactful. It was led by Dr. Carroll, a dean and coach from the middle school, who was one of the first faculty I met when I came to Harvard-Westlake in the ninth grade. He reminded us about the importance of having courageous conversations with people you might disagree with or have a different perspective than you. I also enjoyed seeing some of the student leaders at our school introduce themselves and the program Student Leaders for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. It was especially cool because some members of that program are my close friends. One of the most exciting parts of being a Senior is knowing that me and my classmates get to be leaders on campus. I am so excited that we are getting the opportunity to lead in this virtual space and I think the Community Flex Time will be an important part of our school week. I am excited to see what Community Flex Time will look like for the rest of the year. I have heard that we have some amazing speakers and presentations lined up.
In reflection, I am hopeful for the initiatives being put into place and the difference they will have on our school community. As a person of color, it is nice to know that my school is looking out for me and my community. I know that Harvard-Westlake is working toward being a place where people of all backgrounds feel welcome. All in all, I could not be more excited for this school year and hope that the Community Flex Time will continue to be an important space to address some of the issues that affect our entire community
