If it were me, I would definitely talk to my classmates about the recent situation of teachers or classmates I know. Maybe you can listen to happy or unhappy things that happened at school. Although I don't know the school, the most important thing in chatting is to need a listener and be a sincere listener. I believe that after chatting with your classmates more, you will know something about their school life, and they will be more willing to tell them about your work.