Friday Notes

A Few Thoughts...

Today marks our fifty-second day of school. Our fifty-second day of being together, forming relationships, and developing the necessary skills to tackle our school's curricula. It's also our fifty-second day of school health screenings, mask wearing, physical distancing, and increased hand washing and sanitizing. The past fifty-two days have been an extraordinary education for all of us - in every sense of the word. And yet, we're doing it and we're doing it well.

Pandemic Scorecard

BJAMS - 1; Coronavirus - 0

This pandemic has taught us not to take a single day for granted. The spring showed us that distance learning is unnatural and contrary to how we know learners learn and teachers teach. The experience in the spring taught us that while we can absolutely make distance learning work, we need to do everything in our power to keep our school open for in-person instruction. This has meant adjustments that have been hard. We aren't seeing friends at social gatherings. We aren't eating in restaurants. We have canceled vacations and avoided unnecessary trips to stores. We lost our role as spectators on the sidelines at our children's sporting events. If these are not examples of sacrifice, I don't know what are! And yet, we're making these sacrifices and your efforts do not go unnoticed.

Pandemic Scorecard

BJAMS - 2; Coronavirus - 0

I would be remiss if I did not write that an exposure is likely inevitable - inevitable for your family and/or for our school. Each time my phone rings, I wonder if it's a contact tracer, letting me know that I am about to turn my school families' lives upside down. In my mind, I draft the email letting you know about the "exposure" and ponder whether just one class will go remote or an entire wing of our building. I create intricate webs of how one exposure will impact our entire community and project whether we will have the subs necessary to cover classes should multiple teachers need to be out at once. I worry about letting my community down - our students, our families, our teachers, and staff.

Pandemic Scorecard

BJAMS - 2; Coronavirus - 1

It's easy to get stuck - but please remember what I wrote at the beginning of this note: each day is a gift. If we spend each day worrying about what tomorrow will/will not bring, we will miss today. And today, like the last fifty-one days, has been great. Thank you for your efforts. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for the many sacrifices you're making. And thank you for sharing the gift of your children. We're winning.

Pandemic Scorecard

BJAMS - 5; Coronavirus - 1

With appreciation,

Carrie Wilson

Reminder: PTO Greenery Pick-Up Tomorrow!

If you ordered a wreath or other greenery from the PTO fundraiser, please remember to pick up your order tomorrow, Saturday, November 21 from 10:00am-12:00pm. Please remember your mask and to practice physical distancing! Questions? Please email Anna Roberts (William, grade 1) at awhroberts@gmail.com. Thank you!