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Maryvale High School summer classes aim at battling pandemic learning loss

Students are honing skills in classes better suited for in-person than on a screen.

PHOENIX — After more than a year and a half of being separated from their fellow students and teachers, summer school classes and workshops at Maryvale High School are giving kids an opportunity to get back on track with their academics and electives. 

Students are honing skills in classes better suited for in-person than on a screen.

"It was really weird at first because we were just online. I haven't heard anyone play in like a year. It was really nice," said Daniel Moton, a senior at the school and drum major of the band. 

Moton said that he made the most of the pandemic, but it put others behind.

"I personally don't feel like I lost much but others like kind of lost touch with their instrument. They didn't get a chance to pick it up from the school," Moton said.

Music teacher Mike Dominguez said that he is just thankful to be back in class.

"It really did take a toll on me being away from my kids, because they were such a big part of my life," Dominguez said.

Across campus,  a junior ROTC class is also in session. Students are able to practice and learn skills that they haven't been able to since before the COVID crisis.

"During online classes, I would just tend to goof off and not do anything, but when I came back to school in-person and I looked at my grades, they actually dramatically improved,” said sophomore Marisol Mayberry. “I went from D's and C's to like all A's."

Mayberry said that being on campus has dramatically changed her attitude and grades.

"It's good all around," she said.

More than 800 students at the school are taking advantage of summer classes to get up to speed in time for the fall semester.

For Dominguez, being back in person brings him to tears. 

"Not that they saw, but yeah, there was definitely some emotion there," Dominguez said. "The human-to-human interaction, not only is it just good for instruction, but it's just good for us, emotionally and the whole spectrum."

"It brings a whole kind of a revitalization of me again," Dominguez said.

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