Annika Khurana
@akhuranacourant
Following an upward trend in COVID cases at the high school, the decision was made to cancel midterm exams, with January 21st marking the start of the second semester.
According to Principal William Egan, COVID and the flu were happening simultaneously before the holiday break, which caused many students to miss in-person instruction. “Even the day before break, we had so much student illness due to COVID and we had a lot of people out,” Mr. Egan said. “Watching the positivity rates both in New Canaan and statewide, we knew that COVID was spreading even over break.”
“We were looking for a way that would help kids get their regular work done without feeling overburdened by having to prepare for a high-stakes test that would have been an additional layer of stress on them,” he added.
Preparation for large exams, however, presents itself to be a key skill in the future, whether in college or in potential career paths. “Grades in college courses are often determined by a handful of larger exams and there are also professional exams required in the fields of education, law, medicine, finance, accounting, and engineering,” Math Department Chair Rebecca Pavia said. “While large exams can be stressful, the process of learning how to best prepare and learning how to manage some of the stress can also be helpful.”
However, Mr. Egan does not believe that the decision to cancel exams will pose itself as a significant issue in terms of future preparation. “Our kids take so many assessments and they’ll have other opportunities to take more broad summative assessments, which you may even see in some of your classes now.” Mr. Egan said.
Although not “official” midterms, unit tests may be distributed during the previously allocated exam week. “We’ve set up some guidelines for departments to take a look at and they’ll make decisions that are best,” Mr. Egan said. “What we’re trying not to do is layer extra work on top of what students already have.”
The decision regarding final exams, however, remains up in the air and holds no connection to that of the cancellation of midterms. “The final exams in the spring will stay in place,” Mr. Egan said. “If something changes within the environment of COVID, we’ll take a look at that later.”
Input from students, families, administrators and teachers were taken into account in the making of this decision with an end goal of prioritizing the emotional wellness of the student body. “Ultimately, we’re looking at this in its entirety and there just seems to be so much put on students right now,” Mr. Egan said. “We’ve had some students who are stuck out of the country, some who have COVID, and some who are worried about their immunocompromised family members.”
Many students support the decision to cancel midterm exams in favor of their emotional well-being, especially during a time where they may have been absent leading up to exam week. “I would have been underprepared after missing a few classes because I was sick, so I am glad midterms are canceled,” sophomore Amanda Vigano said. “It would have been quite stressful.”
Despite the stress often associated with exams, some students were disappointed by the cancellation of midterms week, which had previously scheduled days to end at 11:30 am. “I was in favor of midterms because I have to take the same number of tests either way,” junior Owen Hunter said. “The midterm schedule would have given us half days and no homework.”
With midterm exams being canceled once again due to unforeseen circumstances, the decision itself had to be made fairly quickly. “Every decision is always made based on what would be best for students and staff,” Assistant Principal Kristi Carriero said. “With the current situation and its unpredictability, this was the best decision for everyone at this time.”
