Fourth grade students from Rocky Mount, Tritt and Acworth elementary schools have been named recipients of the Silver Pen Award of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K.
The students are Preston Lagason of Rocky Mount, Ainsley Rowe of Tritt and Olivia James of Acworth.
Students were asked to write about how COVID-19 affected them, their families, their school and their relationships.
“We were pleasantly surprised at the level of engagement and the quality of the writing the subject stimulated,” the Golden K noted.
“We heard over and over from faculty and administration how engaged the kids were and how much thought and effort they put into these writing assignments. Kiwanis got kudos for inviting the kids to work through some of their feelings and experiences. In one school, the paper was so good that the Assistant Principal copied it and distributed it to all teachers.
“The kids obviously went through far more than even we were hearing about on news broadcasts. And it changed who they were. But the surprise to us was that they came through COVID with hope and determination. They caught the light at the end of the tunnel, as we were all still complaining about how dark the tunnel was. Our kids are resilient, and they have shown it in our post-COVID interactions with them and the comments they incorporated in their Silver Pen assignments.”
Here are excerpts from some of the responses:
“Wearing a mask was a tremendous change for me, because when I wear a mask, I get sores on my nose and those really hurt.”
“The aggressive protests during COVID made me scared that things were really getting out of control. This added to my levels of concern with my mental health and increased my fear, anxiety, and depression.”
“I was not allowed to see friends or even family members that lived out of state. My Grandma got real sick and died and none of the family was allowed to be with her. I was so lonely being isolated from family and friends. I can’t imagine how lonely that was for her.”
“I had countless times of pain, suffering, struggles, trouble, and sorrow. I could not eat. It was hard to get through the day.”
“COVID ruined a lot of stuff for me, my family, my friends, and my school. COVID was an awful virus. No one liked it, and I hope it never returns.”
“The skills I learned in the middle of the pandemic were a much-needed boost to my outdated self. Tons of computer programs gave me the skills I have today.”
“I decided it was not the end, so I didn’t give up. I pressed on, even through times of mass pain. It was my only hope. I decided to make a comeback – to strike from the shadows, and to truly press on. I eventually came out victorious and was able to get back to living my life.”
“COVID 19 has made an enormous impact on my everyday life because I would not be who I am today, and would not know what it would feel like to have something crazy be going on like this. I am so glad that my family and I were okay.”
Noted the Golden K in summary:
“Our kids hurt deeply, but they bounced back, too, not to where they were but to a new way of doing life. From what we heard, most of them are doing that fairly well, perhaps better than we are.”
The Silver Pen presentations also were posted on YouTube and can be watched by clicking here.
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