Junior Evie Ausbury has been attending FHN for three years now and enjoys the school and all the new friends she has met. She excels in school and is a level nine gymnast, having 20 hours of practices each week. 2020 has been a rough year for individuals world wide, but especially difficult for Evie. The 2020-2021 school year has only been in session for 11 weeks, and Evie has missed over half of the semester so far, not including the two weeks she is currently missing. The principles have sent her home to quarantine for the fourth time now. 

“I’m a level nine gymnast and it’s extremely difficult to come back after being gone for weeks on end,” Evie said. “After I finally do end up coming back to the gym after two weeks, I’ll regain my strength and skills, only to get sent home again to quarantine. Gymnastics isn’t like soccer or something where you just lose your kicking ability.”

As for her academics, it has been even harder to miss school than it has been gymnastics. English is her most stressful class because it’s material that is challenging to comprehend. 

“My teachers aren’t helping me and it takes them days to respond to my emails,” Evie said. “I try my hardest at home and they don’t understand that. I sit at home with tears in my eyes and I still get 9/25 on assignments. It’s so important for kids to be in school because they actually have a teacher teaching them. I don’t have a teacher. It’s all a self-taught guessing game. I don’t learn anything. I’m clueless when it comes to tests and my grades reflect that.”

Evie’s younger sister, Sara Ausbury, also attends FHN and feels bad for her sister having to miss so much of her junior year. With Evie being exposed and stationed at home, Sara hasn’t experienced any symptoms, gotten tested, or have had to quarantine with her.

“I do feel really bad for her because I know it’s not ideal to not be able to see her friends, go to practice or work. It’s been hard for her to do school on her own, at home, with no instruction; which makes it harder to do the work,” Sara said. 

Despite the challenges and setbacks this school year has brought to students and staff, quality time with family is greatly appreciated now more than ever. Relationships have grown between siblings, parents, and friends. Although the world may stay apart, families stay together. 

“It’s been a little strange having Evie home so much because now she can eat dinner with our family, I see her after school, and we even workout together which is more interaction than I’ve ever had with her during a school week,” Sara said.