Student voice has always been important here at the Mane, from important news in our community to student experience at school. So, this week our team decided to get down to the heart of our student body by gathering your opinions.
Covid at School: With the lifting of mask mandates in New Brunswick school as New Brunswick at large, individual comfort levels are all over the place. Based on the answers we received about the mask mandates being lifted, student feelings range from “weird” to “literally so uncomfortable.” Many students said they feel nervous about lifting the mandates with the rising Covid cases in school around the lifting of the mandates. When it comes to the last three school years, 63% of students surveyed said that online school did not work for them. Words students used to describe online school include “garbage,” “exhausted” and “difficult.” It is safe to say students are concerned when it comes to their education and the Covid 19 pandemic.
School and the Future: School can be a hectic place, especially in the last few years, but it also serves as a home for its students for much of the year. At Leo Hayes, we have a wide variety of classes where students can explore their interests. When asked, many students said Personal Interest (formally Senior Project) and Art were their favourite classes. Students also showed an interest in more hands-on classes like Woodshop, Culinary Technology, and Welding. When it comes to breaks between classes, students choose to spend their time all over the school from the gym to the library. Many teachers leave their classes open for students, which according to many students interviewed, is a great place to spend your lunch break.
For high school students, questions about the future can be scary, and while we here at the Mane can’t predict the future, we thought it would be fun to see what our fellow students have planned. Of the students surveyed 88% are planning on pursuing post-secondary education, 7% are not and 5% are not sure. Along with these education plans, 42% of students are planning on staying in New Brunswick after high school, with 38% planning on leaving and 21% not being sure. Whatever your plans are post high school, the Mane team wishes you all the best!
Pop Culture and the World: Since the beginning of 2020, people around the world have been consuming more pop culture and world news than ever. Students at Leo Hayes are no exception. 43% of Leo Hayes students watched the 2022 winter Olympics this February but only 76% of students regularly watch the news.
Students also shared their favorite movies from the past year, such as Dune and Encanto, with a majority of the students saying Spiderman No Way Home. If these answers tell you anything, then this movie is sure to have an impact on our generation in the future. The TV show choices of students are a bit more varied though, with some choosing Gilmore Girls and even It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Surprisingly, considering its internet popularity, only one student named Euphoria as their favourite tv show.
The students of Leo Hayes may not agree on everything, but at the end of the day, the student body and their opinions shape our school. We here at the Mane strive to give a voice to this student body and we want to thank all the students who participated in our surveys.