Wow. Just 6 weeks ago, our community was as divided due to the four-day school week conversations. Today, we wonder when (even, perhaps, if) our children will return to school for the remainder of the school year.
The board met as the COVID-19 virus was just beginning to make news and impact schools. It was one of the shortest meetings I've encountered. Still, please check out the board information. There's obviously lots of unknowns with where we are at. If you are a policy nerd like me, here is DESE's COVID-19 page with guidance as it's happening. Not trying for a shameless plug, but if you're more of a policy-nerd like me, my employer (Kids Win Missouri) has setup a COVID-19 webpage with resources and updates that we'll be updating weekly on Fridays of federal, state, and other updates. We're obviously early in this fight against COVID-19 with many more questions than answers on everything. As I sit here trying to write something unique or to provide a different perspective I've settled on a message to our community, faculty, staff, and administrators. Here goes: Now, more than ever, we grapple as a community with things that our educators have seen and deal with on a daily basis:
My point? Our school is more than a place where learning happens. Our schools battle our society's most difficult issues every single day---at every age level and building on our campuses. Now, with schools being out, as a society, we have to pick up the difference. We're doing some of this. The food outreach has been awesome. I'm prayerful that over the next 30+ days it can be kept-up. However, our child abuse and neglect hotline is reporting 50% of the normal call volume. During economic difficulties, abuse and neglect rises---and we're seeing half the reports compared to when when things are going well. Parents are becoming teachers. I'll speak for myself and say that balancing trying to work + have a 20-month old at home....is difficult...let alone trying to teach/be present with him. While we can "go for a walk" -- that doesn't help those of us who don't have sidewalks and we're not supposed to use park equipment. Our teachers, administrative team, and support staff all contribute to making our society whole in ways way beyond the fact that kids are in our buildings from roughly 8AM-3PM. They change their lives. Staff: I see the work you do under normal circumstances and I see the ways you are reaching out to your students....and I'm grateful. I know our community is. To all of our students (who likely won't read this message at all--I'm aware): My message to you as a board member would be: I'm sorry. I'm sorry this upended your lives. All adults remember some aspects of their schooling experience and I think it's safe to say that when this is said and done: you won't ever forget this time, and the educational changes you are "guinea pigs of" with technology and more may be setting the stage for significant changes in how education is done for years to come. To any seniors who may see this (or their parents): The board hasn't discussed what this could mean for graduation, baccalaureate, and other end-of-year activities if it continues. I do want to make no mistake--I have no reason to believe that any of these activities would be cancelled. Who knows what our lives will look like at the end of May---but please know that you won't be forgotten. You deserve to have those experiences somehow, someway, at sometime. We are a community and a social people. We all must find ways to "practice self-care." Our own mental, physical, and spiritual health will be incredibly important as we move into a period of continued physical separation from each other as a community. Reach out to neighbors. Reach out to friends. Reach out to family. We are able to do things now with our loved ones that we couldn't have envisioned just a few short weeks ago. Let's utilize it. Let's create memories with our children, families, and friends (virtually, distancing ourselves) that we wouldn't do otherwise. This forced slow-down and limited travel reminds me so much of my love of the people in Mozambique who purposefully live a life that is less rushed, more full of family and neighborhood relationships, and who cherish every moment given to each other every day. During COVID-19, in these ways, we are living life in ways that God intended us to. I'm going to be thankful for it and keep my social distancing as much as possible. Will you join me?
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AuthorHallsville resident. Foster Parent. School board member. Politico. Jesus Follower. Cardinals Fan #MizzouMade Archives
June 2020
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