Dear Families,
Well, this is the last email I will send in the year 2020. We have been living through a year of struggle that seems like it was going to go on forever. We didn’t have a choice about going on this journey. It was a trail we had to walk, a river we had to cross, and a bridge we had to build. We went through this year taking one small step at a time, and we looked around for the good people who were on this journey with us.
In January I thought this was going to be the year of great growth for my initiatives, a great year to continue the work from the past, and a wonderful opportunity for new learning in a new decade. I never thought this year would be the year of a pandemic, a year of disease, of wildfires, businesses collapsing, online schooling, quarantining, and fear. It has been a long, long year. This has been a year where families have lost homes, lost businesses; struggled with finances, children, spouses, and medical situations; and have had to endure the hardship of loss. It is a year where the things we never thought could happen have happened - and happened many times over.
When the pandemic first began, I wasn’t sure how this was going to end, how we were going to transition to online learning, or how we were going to support our students through it. But I knew we would.
I wasn’t sure how our 5th graders were going to graduate, how our kindergarteners would make up a disjointed school year, how our students who struggled with reading would be supported while our students who thrive in math would be challenged. But I knew we would.
I wasn’t sure what the community was going to say; what Facebook was going to post; what the federal, state and local governments would do; how my own family would respond; or how to mend the hurt in so many. But I knew we would.
We were in - and still are in - a very difficult time period, but the results of our school and the amazing amount of learning occurring in person and virtually was not by sheer luck. It was not some random outcome that just occurred. It was something that so many individuals worked tirelessly on to ensure that even with all of the uncertainties in the world, we certainly were going to give our students everything we could.
There is a saying in education that “teachers don’t teach for the income, they teach for the outcome.” The truth of the matter is that while outcomes were important they were not what gave us strength during the first half of the 2019 2020 school year. What gave us strength was during our small steps we realized that we were in this together. We were in it with our students, parents, colleagues, families, and friends. It was that feeling of togetherness that empowered us to take that next step and the one after that. It was working with families on teaching students to read in the early grades - and seeing the frustration on both sides of the screen when it got hard - that moved the left foot in front of the right. It was seeing the needs of so many that pushed us to be our best - instead of just playing it safe.
I do not know what the year 2021 will bring, but I do know that we will get through it together.
Thank you for your continued support of our teachers and students and I hope you all have a great holiday break.
Mr. Moore
No Meal Kit Distributions For the Next Two Weeks
Please remember that due to our holiday break, there will not be meal kit distributions for the next two weeks. Meal kit distribution will resume the week of January 4. Also, please remember that under waivers from the USDA, all school meals are free for the entire school year.
10 Tips for Helping Kids have a Great Holiday
Make time for physical activity every day. Creating some unstructured time for kids to run around, be noisy, and work off pent up energy will decrease crankiness, boredom, and bad behavior throughout the day.
Create and honor your own family traditions. Traditions can strengthen your family’s sense of closeness. With your kids, you can certainly create new and different traditions from the ones you grew up with, but make a point to have a few special things you do together every year.
Keep an eye on sugar intake. You don’t have to take all the treats and fun out of the holidays! However, remember that it can make it hard for kids to regulate their behavior, it can leave kids over-energized, and it often results in mood crashes.
Teach your kids the joy of giving, not just getting. This can be through an overt conversation, or more subtle, depending on the age and personality of your child. Modeling is an indirect way: say out loud how good it felt to give someone a meaningful gift, and why.
Don’t lose all routines. Some degree of routine helps children know what to expect and what is expected of them. This, in turn, helps reduce stress for everyone. Keeping some of their usual routines, appropriate for their age, can help you all feel a little more grounded.
Teach your kids to remember others in need. Most communities, schools, and churches have activities around the holidays in which kids and families can help others. This type of action, when done mindfully, can help your child to develop a sense of community, responsibility, and value. Participate as a family and let it be part of your holiday tradition.
Kids still need to sleep (and so do parents). Sure, you may not need to keep them to their usual 8:00pm bedtime for the entire break, but try to make sure your kids get adequate sleep. This will help avoid exhaustion-induced meltdowns and it will help them (you) transition better back into their school routine when the holidays are over.
Practice mindfulness and gratitude, and teach your kids to do the same. It’s easy to get swept away by the excesses of the holidays. Take time to notice moments of love and joy. Point them out to your children, and then reminisce about them later.
Take care of yourself. If you’re stressed out, it will very likely pass on to your kids. It’s ok not to be perfect. It’s ok to say no to some invitations, projects, outings, or decorating extravaganzas. Choose to put your heart into doing the things you and your family really enjoy.
Have fun! Enjoy yourself! Enjoy your kids. This year will never come again!
Your partner in education,
Sarah Marker
School Counselor