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Another school year is upon us, and so many of our teachers are filled with great joy and excitement at the idea of once again seeing all of the children, students, and families who we haven’t seen since St. Patrick’s Day last March.
It’s been so long!
We are eager to welcome students back and discover the many ways they have grown and changed over the last five months.
Getting ready for a new year
This year promises to be unlike any other that we have ever experienced.
Our principals and teachers have been working overtime this summer, reading Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations and studies, talking to county health officials every week, conferring with committees of parents, doctors, nurses, and public health officials, and making big changes to school procedures and physical space.
They’ve done all this to make sure that we are ready to welcome teachers and students back to a clean, healthy learning environment that is safe for everyone.
We know that next to being educated by capable, loving parents, being in school with caring, professional, quality teachers is what’s best for children’s intellectual, academic, social, emotional, and psychological growth.
For that very reason, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC have recommended that schools follow stringent protocols and re-open safely this fall.
Facing challenges
Last spring when schools were closed, many skills and concepts that were easily taught and learned in-person proved much more difficult to teach and learn through distance and online learning.
Families faced numerous challenges trying to help children with technology, online lessons, homework, and scheduling, often while parents had to try to work from home.
Some parents who couldn’t work from home had to either send children to daycare or find a babysitter or relative to watch their children.
Sometimes, older children had to watch their younger siblings and help them with online lessons, homework, and household chores while also doing their own lessons, homework, and chores.
Though everyone acted heroically to make the best of things, the situation was far from ideal.
Learning and home life became more challenging for almost everyone. Students missed their friends and teachers missed their students. Everyone missed the human connection that is so critical to development, learning, psychological, and emotional health.
This is the connection that is provided in the communities of faith and learning that are our Catholic schools!
When school closed last spring it was a big challenge.
We rose to the occasion and toughed it out, but doing everything online, at a distance, made all of us feel just a little less whole, a little more anxious, and a little less human.
We know that every life is sacred, and as Catholic educators, it’s our job to help students feel more human, to recognize and develop all their many gifts and potential so they can use their talents to glorify God by living a full life and becoming fully human.
Coming back to school
This is why we are coming back to school.
This is why we will work constantly to keep everyone safe and teach students what they can do to stay safe, by washing hands, sanitizing, disinfecting surfaces, being aware of others, not invading personal space, and wearing masks and/or face shields.
This is why we have plexiglass barriers, new drop-off and pick-up procedures, new lunch and recess routines, and new schedules for moving in hallways and between classrooms.
This is why teachers and principals have worked so hard for so long this summer.
They have planned, and worked, and prepared, because all of you, our students and families are worth it!
They love you and they will do everything in their power to protect you, keep you safe, empower you, and help you learn, grow and develop into the incredible, capable, spectacular people God calls each of you to be.
We know the struggles that families faced this spring and are still facing even now. We are here to help each other through.
This year is going to be more challenging and uncertain than any other year we have ever faced.
We will need our faith and each other more than ever before.
Parents, children, teachers, and principals — all of us will need to work together as a true community of faith and learning where we act on the truth that every person is sacred and must be nurtured and protected.
This may be a difficult task, but we are up to the challenge.
We know that united in our efforts, our belief, and our faith, together with God’s love and grace, any obstacle can be overcome.
May God bless you and your families and may we have an incredible school year!
Michael Lancaster is the superintendent of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Madison.