>> IT IS 7:00 IN WOBURN.
>> WAKE UP, YOUR SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL.
>> EXCEPT FOR THE MASK WORN FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR SMALL GROUP, THIS IS HOW SCHOOL DAYS START IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
>> MORNING.
YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP.
>> IT IS A SCHEDULE THAT MOST FAMILIES WOULD FIND MUNDANE PRE-COVID BUT WITH SCHOOL SHUT DOWN SINCE MARCH, THIS SEPTEMBER MORNING FEELS LIKE CHRISTMAS.
>> GO HAVE SOME BREAKFAST.
>> THIS IS CHRONICLE ON WCVB CHANNEL 5.
>> HERE YOU GO.
>> AS DAD LAYS OUT BREAKFAST, MOM HANDLES THE JUICE.
WHILE SOME FAMILIES HAVE OPTED TO CONTINUE FULLY PROMOTE LEARNING, EMILY AND CARA ARE RETURNING TO SCHOOL IN PERSON AS PART OF A HYBRID PROGRAM THAT GETS THEM BACK IN THE CLASSROOM
TWICE A WEEK.
>> I WANTED TO GO HYBRID BECAUSE I WANT THEM AROUND KIDS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT SOCIAL INTERACTION.
>> HAVE SOMETHING TO DRINK.
IT IS ALMOST AS KEY AS THE LEARNING.
>> NEW CLOTHES.
FOR THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL.
>> READY TO GET CHANGED?
THEY ARE OLDER NOW SO THEY CAN DRESS THEMSELVES AND BRUSH THEIR TEETH.
I GET IT DOWN PRETTY GOOD.
IT TAKES THEM ABOUT 30 MINUTES TOPS.
USUALLY WE HAVE A LITTLE TIME TO SPEND TOGETHER BEFORE I TAKE THEM TO THE BUS.
>> FAMILY WAS EXCITED, SHE COULD NOT WAIT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
>> IS THAT ENOUGH?
>> SHE HAD BEEN ASKING HOW MANY DAYS ARE LEFT.
SHE CANNOT WAIT TO SEE HER FRIENDS.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR MASK?
WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT TO WEAR?
>> CAROL IS RIGHT THERE BEHIND HER.
>> YOU HAVE ANNEXED A ONE IN THERE?
>> I NEED MY SCRUNCHY.
>> LUNDGREN AND MURPHY HAVE A TRICK TO GETTING THROUGH THE EARLY DAYS OF THIS BACK-TO-SCHOOL YEAR.
>> ASK HER ALL THE QUESTIONS, SHE HAS THE ANSWERS.
I JUST DO WHAT I’M TOLD.
>> LIKE LUNDGREN, MANY STUDENTS ARE GETTING ALONG I DOING WHAT THEY ARE TOLD.
BUT 20 KIDS IN DORCHESTER ARE FLIPPING THE SCRIPT BY TELLING WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
>> I JUST PLAYED GAMES WITH MY FAMILY.
>> IS A UNIQUE PROJECT AIMED AT GETTING RETURNING STUDENTS A VOICE DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
>> DO YOU REMEMBER HOW YOU FELT?
>> WE HAD TO KEEP WASHING OUR HANDS BUT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY.
>> THIS IS NOT A REMOTE LEARNING ZOOM CLASS.
THIS IS HISTORY BEING RECORDED.
>> CORONAVIRUS.
>> THE IDEA TO INTERVIEW KIDS ABOUT LIVING THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC STARTED WITH ROZ EVER DALE.
>> I’M NOT A PROFESSIONAL HISTORIAN, I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.
>> SHE IS ALSO A LOCAL LEGEND WHO HAS FOUGHT FOR EDUCATION AND SOCIAL EQUALITY IN DORCHESTER SINCE THE 1980’S.
>> I HAVE KNOCKED ON ALMOST EVERY DOOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SO I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW SOME AMAZING PEOPLE.
THIS WAS AN EFFORT WITH BOSTON PLAN FOR EXCELLENCE WORKING WITH DUDLEY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE TO FOCUS AROUND EDUCATION.
>> SHE SERVES ON THE BOARD OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL WHICH IS WHERE SHE RALLIED VOLUNTEERS AND FOUND HER SUBJECTS.
>> IT IS KINDERGARTEN TO SIXTH-GRADERS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND HOW THEY DESCRIBE IT, PANDEMIC AND COVID ARE ADULT WORDS FOR THIS TIME.
THE PRACTICAL THINGS ARE HELPING TEACHERS AND STAFF KNOW WHAT THE KIDS’ VERSION OF THIS WORLD IS.
>> WHAT IS GOING TO BE A CHANGE IS THE PEOPLE AND TEACHERS AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF MASKS.
>> ONE YOUNG BOY FELT LIKE THE SCHOOL MUST HAVE GOTTEN DESTROYED AND THAT IS WHY HE IS NOT IN THE BUILDING.
>> WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT?
>> THE SCHOOL GETTING DESTROYED.
>> THE PARENT GETS TO HEAR THAT KIDS’ VERSION, WHICH THEY MAY HAVE HEARD OR MAY NOT HAVE.
>> IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I COULD NOT SLEEP LAST NIGHT.
>> I DON’T THINK I WANT TO GO BACK TO US -- I DON’T THINK WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL BUT IT WILL BE NICE IF WE DID.
>> HEARING THAT KIDS WANT TO GO BACK IS POWERFUL.
>> HOW READY ARE YOU?
>> 100.
>> NAVAL REMEMBER THIS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.
-- THEY WILL REMEMBER THIS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.
>> THE NEW ENGLAND COLD MAY BE THE LEAST OF THEIR WORRIES AS THE POSSIBILITY OF A SECOND WAVE WITH NEW SCHOOL CLOSURES LOOMS LARGE.
>> I CAN TAKE TIME OFF YOUR WHERE THEY ARE BUT IT IS NOT IDEAL.
I AM CROSSING MY FINGERS AT THIS POINT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
BUT THAT IS LIFE RIGHT NOW.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
BYE.
>> THE DUDLEY STREET ORAL HISTORY PROJECT IS HOPING TO RECONNECT WITH ITS 20 ORIGINAL SUBJECTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO SEE HOW THEIR PERSPECTIVES HAVE CHANGED.
THE INTERVIEWERS WERE ALL TEACHERS.
THE STUDENTS’ PARENTS WERE ALSO INVITED TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, THOUGH MANY JUST WANTED LISTEN TO THEIR KIDS’ OBSERVATIO