Not So Fast
Well friends, I had high hopes that we could come back to school this year and never think about masks again! I thought we would welcome children with open arms and not let them leave until end of May.
It seems I was wrong.
I suppose lamenting what should have been won’t help me face the reality of what’s happening in our schools right now. More teachers and staff are contracting the virus. Classes are being quarantined. The conversation about what the district is doing continues.
We’ve had such a roller coaster of emotions flowing through us with this pandemic, and our board meeting last Monday reflected that. Parents from both sides of the “To Mask or Not to Mask” issue spoke passionately about their beliefs. The positive takeway? Our parents care about their children.
As a history teacher, I am always glad to see people acting as if their voices matter! That’s democracy in action, and I am grateful for their belief in our school board members’ ability to get something done.
It is also good that PCS paid for air purifying systems, that masks are strongly recommended for staff and employees, and that we are still finding ways to get more people vaccinated. I know they are in talks with health officials regularly, and that the situation is fluid. Changes will likely be made.
That’s the hard lesson of the pandemic - the ephemeral nature of things. We think we have some control and we know the path we’re on, but then something new rocks us.
Change is constant.
In the midst of all the uncertainty and genuine fear, I hope our parents support their child’s teachers who are just as confused as they are sometimes. Grace and patience, Friends. We all have our children’s best interest at heart.
by Jennifer Seal
August 19, 2021