The Best Day Ever!

 Principal pondering...

Last week, some of us got an email from a parent thanking us for what we did for her daughter on her birthday.  The student came home and told her mom that it was "her most favorite day ever in her life!"  We are still surviving a pandemic.  In a hybrid model, with only half of our students in front of us while the rest are in Brady Bunch boxes on our screens.  We have to keep most of our faces hidden behind masks.  Kids don't get to be close to each other and there's not really any high fiving or hugging happening.  Yet, we somehow managed to help this little girl have the best day ever.

How did we do that?  How can any kid feel like these are great days?  Us adults...I know I am not alone when I say that over the past year I have had some of my least favorite days ever, some of my worst days.  Many times I did not want to get out of bed.  Many times I cried myself to sleep.  Many days I thought...just get through it.  I am sick of washing and wearing masks.  My hands are raw from washing and sanitizing.  I just want to be able to hug every kid and have the biggest lobby dance party ever.  Yet, we somehow managed to help a little girl have the best day of her life.  Simply by being here and paying attention.  Her present was our presence in her life.

That thought is going to keep me going.  Next week when we return to full in person learning...our goal is to have more kids feel like it was the best day ever.  I know it won't always feel that way for us, but we have to remember that our students don't see our after hours stress or our middle of the night panic moments.  Next week, most of our students are going to see you in front of them, not on a screen.  Most of our students are going to see their friends in person for the first time in a long time.  They are going to be doing school almost the way they are used to from a year ago.  Yes, there will still be masks and hand sanitizer and reminders to "space out."  But we have a chance to give them the best day ever.  On April 5th and all the days after that.

While it will be nice to have more in person faces listening to your module 4, lesson 12 math lesson, and it will be a welcome change to not have to chase kids back on camera, remember that it's your presence in their lives that is going to make the best day ever.  And we of course want kids to continue to learn about glued sounds and the difference between fiction and non fiction, but it will be how we interact with them and how we show we care for them that will make these last months of the year the best days ever.

This year, we often find ourselves running on fumes.  Let their enthusiasm, their joy, their energy fuel you. 

Now go have the best day ever!

Currently reading:

On Sunday, I read Long Way Down.  It's a novel told in verse by the amazing Jason Reynolds.  It's about a young Black kid who feels like he has to seek revenge for his older brother's death.  And during an elevator ride he encounters several ghosts, friends and family members that were victims of shootings.  Probably not for our students to read, but you might be interested in reading it.  

I also got some great new books delivered from our virtual Scholastic Book Fair.  Can't wait to do some read alouds or book talk some of these...

Events this week:

Wednesday - Last remote Wednesday! Staff meeting @ 8:00am, Liz in a PLT Meeting from 12:30-2:30

Thursday - Masked Reader Event - virtual family event and announcing Read-a-Thon winners - 7:00pm

Friday - Rest up and get ready for Monday!

Check it out:

How true is this?!...