It has been a while since my last post, in part because of all of the different changes and circumstances that have presented themselves the last several months and because I have been trying to keep everyone updated via Facebook Live Updates. I know that not everyone can access or likes to get things via social media, and with the return to face to face instruction and Homecoming taking place, it feels like a good time to post.
We have just finished our 2nd week of face to face instruction, with approximately 60-65% of our students choosing to return. It has been great to see many of our students! I am very proud of how everyone has come together to help make this transition as smooth as possible. Thank you to our staff for all of their work and for their ability to adjust to new practices and policies. All of our staff members have stepped up and have joined in to help, and it has made a huge difference. Also, I want to thank our parents for their patience and cooperation. I realize that not all of the new policies and practices are convenient and, in some cases, may go against your personal beliefs; however, everyone has been extremely understanding and cooperative. Everyone's cooperation has made the first two weeks of face to face instruction very smooth and productive. Thank you!
To add to all of the changes and challenges, this week, we are celebrating Homecoming. As you can imagine, this year is quite different than any year in memory. It has taken many adjustments and creativity to try and make it as great as it can be for our students. Restrictions have limited the large gatherings and activities that we typically associate with Homecoming. However, whether it has been the celebration of the Homecoming Court or the fun dress-up days, there have still been many activities and experiences that have made this a memorable experience for our students. After all, isn't that who it is all about?
This leads me to my next point, observation. I recently read a post by a friend that discussed the importance of our mindset as adults. As the post stated, over the past few months, we have all heard, "the kids have already lost so much." The past few months have been challenging in many ways, and we must be all able to express our feelings and talk about the struggles that we have faced. However, we need to ask ourselves this question, "is it really the kids that feel this way," or is it the adults perpetuating a victim/loss mindset because it is different than what they knew. Think about some of the things that we have a sense of loss over. Many of these things were never even thought about or occurred when our grandparents were growing up. In my experiences, kids typically are very resilient and handle change much better than most adults. As adults, we need to let them feel for themselves and not try to assign how they should feel. As adults, we need to teach our children about perspective, grit and overcoming challenges. In every challenge, there is an opportunity. We just have to train ourselves to look for it. We need to look for and celebrate the opportunities. For example, instead of being upset about trick or treating, plan a Halloween activity and meal for the family. Make it special in a different way. Opportunities are everywhere. For more quality time. For more exploring. For more conversations. For slowing down. These are tough times, and having feelings of sadness or disappointment is completely natural, and we need to allow everyone to work through these feelings. We also all need to continue to adjust our mindset, mindset matters. Remember, we are setting the stage for the next generation.
Think positive, test negative! We ARE Vestaburg!
