The students began their new school year in their new classrooms barely two & a half weeks ago. The elementary school just had Back to School Night last Thursday, middle school is having theirs tonight, & both schools have Picture Day on Thursday & Friday respectively.
The kids probably still have unsharpened pencils in their desks & notebooks without any creases in the cover. Many of them are carrying backpacks that are barely broken in. But we're all getting back into the swing of things together.
So don't mind the fact that many of us raised an eyebrow over our absent Principal at last week's Back to School Night-- as for me, I innocently assumed she must have had a personal emergency. And never mind the fact that the middle school is having their BTS Night tonight, when Yom Kippur begins-- you know, the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar. I completely understand that our community does not have enough of a Jewish population to warrant school closings during Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. But to actually schedule an event that both parents & faculty should not miss...?
And in the middle of all this I have been trying to set a date to visit H's class for our annual fragile x chat-- of course not understanding why it was taking so long for anyone to get back to me. Well the iceberg was certainly visible last night as the news about our Principal became public, & our community suddenly learned that said person was spontaneously resigning. The position was filled just over a year ago, so basically it's as if someone cued a bunch of bricks to unexpectedly crumble from the walls.
So pardon me if this feels like we are in the middle of a Twilight Zone.
I have my own suspicions just like the next person, but truthfully I don't know everything that is going on (although even if I did, I certainly wouldn't publish it here). What I do know is that the teachers & the kids-- they are the ones who are going through this & it frustrates me because they are the ones who make school great. When one is enthusiastic it's reciprocated by the other. I have said this many times before but it's an appropriate time to re-share, that when Hayden was new to his current school we had a specialist in the fx community come out & observe him. I met with his team & we were in complete agreement that it would be helpful to have input from an expert. The importance of crafting an appropriate education plan for Hayden was mutually recognized. And at the end of the day when we were saying goodbye to the psychologist from the fragile x clinic, she told me & Dan that the people who work with Hayden renewed her faith in education. I am proud to brag about that-- I don't envy our teachers but I respect them & I am one of their biggest fans.
So while everything is still fresh-- new school year, new school supplies, & unfortunately new surprises-- I hope everyone remembers that even amidst this uncertainty we ought to strive to continue to be a district to be proud of.
And when it's time to stand in front of that camera for Picture Day so close to the start of such an unsettling school year, I hope chins are up & brows are relaxed. I hope the faculty carries happy, confident expressions knowing that the parents in the community stand beside them. And I hope the students carry the same poise in front of their dedicated educators.
If someone pulls the rug out from underneath us sometimes we have to remember it was only covering the floor.
Just wanted to speak my peace.
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