The advent of the new year brings hope for new beginnings as well as nostalgia for the year that just passed. Unpredictable, unprecedented – words fail to describe what we went through in 2021.

At the start of 2021, I was a sophomore. Most of my time was spent preparing for the Board Exams, which were ultimately canceled due to the steep increase in cases. As I started 11th Grade, the pandemic reached its pinnacle and several measures were taken to curb the spread of the Delta variant. IISJ too implemented an alternate day system to keep all students safe as well as make sure we didn’t miss out on in person learning. 

After summer vacation, when most high school students got vaccinated, we were all allowed to come back to School as usual. Things started to settle and the uncertainty died down. It was startling to see how well the students and staff both adjusted themselves to the pandemic. While we did wear masks and practice social distancing, School felt normal.

Despite the pandemic, IISJ students, with the help of teachers and the school staff organized multiple events like the COVID fundraiser, Career Talk, Holiday Food Drive and the Science Exhibition. These events helped provide a sense of normalcy as well as promote our school spirit, which had taken a hit when most of the School was at home due to the pandemic. 

The new year is a time of joy, reflection and resolutions. Here’s to hoping that all our resolutions are kept and that 2022 is a happier and better year than 2021. Omicron? What’s that??