A Year of Change, Courage, and Blessing

It was a year ago that I sat in my office with my leadership team and we considered the possibility that a shutdown was imminent. Within the week, the building was empty, and we were teaching online. The past year has been one like no other, and I want to take a moment to pause, remember and celebrate.  

First, the teachers. Courageous, persevering, dutiful.

On the first day of shutdown, teachers came into the building and began packaging the spring work. By the end of the day, the hallway was lined with individual student bags, ready for parent pickup the next day. Little did we know at that time that we were in it for the long haul. Lessons instructed on zoom, work reviewed on Doc Hub, and spring events held virtually gave way in the fall to distance learners being instructed online and classes conducted outdoors under tents. The perseverance of these teachers has been remarkable!  

Next, the leadership team. Resourceful, Steady, Resilient.

Spending the summer rearranging classrooms, ordering desks and plexiglass, securing loans, writing policies, and planning instruction was challenging. With each new guideline, we moved forward with a deep breath and a prayer. Managing handwashing stations, tent upkeep, and temperature checks for a whole school year has given us all a new appreciation for the normal school days of past years.  

Then, there are the parents. Gracious, Supportive, Affirming.

Last spring was a shock as families adjusted to teaching children at home. So many of our parents took the time to express appreciation and gratitude, even during the most difficult days when they found themselves homeschooling and working at the same time. During this year of in-person instruction, parents have cheerfully kept students home for routine illnesses and adjusted when whole classes were sent home to be taught by a quarantined teacher on Zoom. 

Finally, the students. Trusting, Joyful, Present.

As I wander through the school building, I am touched by the simple delight that these students have in learning together. They are discussing the covenant of Abraham in one class and cutting mosaics in another. The kindergarten students are carefully building architectural creations with Froebels. There are two chicks, one hamster, eggs in incubation, and unhatched tadpoles alongside students completing lessons in phonics, math, and writing. In all of these moments, the students are quiet, engaged, and fully present.  

Yes, we have much to celebrate! As we approach the resurrection joy of Easter, we are deeply grateful for the grace that has carried us through the dark days of COVID-19. God has brought us together in a new way, even as we have been apart.  

James 1:2-8 says it well, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

For the children’s sake,

Virginia R. Wilcox

Head of School