Saint Mary School Weekly Newsletter
April 24, 2020 Volume 2, Issue 30
A Note from Mrs. O'Rourke
“Don’t fear the storms that life may bring. You’ve been chosen by God to SURVIVE IT, OVERCOME IT, and OUTLAST IT.” - Sheryl Brady
Dear SMS Families,
Week 6 at home is in the books...there is some comfort for me in counting the weeks. It marks another week of survival and gratefulness for all that I have. Throughout the last two weeks, I have called all 184 families that make up Saint Mary School. I was able to connect with all but seven families either via a quick chat or voicemail message. It comforted me to know that our families are well and hanging in there. Additionally, I have been meeting with parents in the evening via grade level Zoom conferencing. These are great opportunities for me to see people and connect, something I terribly miss.
One thing that I have found is that we are all in very different situations and we all cope differently. When someone shared this piece, “Same Storm, Different Boat,” it really resonated with me. In our planning and development of distance learning, the staff and I are trying to accommodate our students and families who are in many different boats. We have found that during this storm it has been especially challenging for us as we try to keep our own boats afloat.
As we navigate through this storm, let us practice patience, perseverance, empathy, and mostly keep the faith and pray!
We’ve got this!
Anna
We are NOT in the Same Boat - author unknown
For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.
For some that live alone, they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.
With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment, some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.
Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk, and eggs for the weekend.
Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.
Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.
We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.