The Strangest First Day Ever
Well friends. It’s the first day of school? Yeah, it’s kind of strange for sure. Have you ever blown up a balloon and then let it go, watching it fly through the sky releasing all that hot air? That’s kind of what this first day feels like to me.
There is always so much excitement surrounding the first day. New school supplies, maybe new clothes, seeing your friends, and figuring out what your class is going to be like. And that’s from the teachers! The same is true for students of course, except they are also trying to figure out if your class will be a “blow off” or not.
We don’t have any of that this year, and it’s sad. While most people agree that distance learning is the right decision for our schools, that doesn’t replace the excitement we’re all missing. It’s OK for us to miss the things we miss. Recognize that our students are feeling these losses as well, which will most certainly affect how they perform in school this nine weeks.
I’ve been in every single building at least once within the last week, twice by the end of this week. I can tell you that the offices are buzzing because there is still so much to do. I ask the teachers, “how are you going to teach Spanish online?” “How will cooking work?” The answers are as varied as the classes, but there is an undercurrent of apprehension to them all.
No one has this figured out, which may make us all a little trepidatious, but it could also give us comfort.
We are in this together.
We will all make mistakes.
Our students will not get our best, but we will give them the best we can.
It’s true for the principal, the counselor, and the Foundation. We will give them all the best we can.
posted by Jennifer Seal
August 27, 2020