This week is American Education Week; I cannot express enough appreciation for our staff and what they do for our students and school learning community. I am so fortunate that each day I have the opportunity to witness the impact of their commitment and dedication. Truly fantastic work is accomplished. It is also evident that they have genuine care, concern, and compassion for our students. It was very kind of several different community groups to provide acknowledgment for our staff members this week. The staff warmly received these actions.
Some have asked me how the staff is continuing despite the concerns over COVID 19 they face each day. The honest answer is that we have some of the same range of emotions that the community has about the effects of COVID 19. It can be challenging to set aside when we see it has affected some of our students, coworkers, and members of our own families. Our concern and compassion for students and each other has moved us to make large adjustments in our learning environment to mitigate the virus.
On Monday, the School Board met to discussed COVID 19. They took time to review and discuss information related to the Page County positivity rate and the Shenandoah CSD area. They also reviewed information about the percent of students/staff who are ill, the percent of quarantined students, and the implications of moving to remote learning should that become necessary. It was a quality discussion; I commend their willingness to take the time to understand the data and discuss what next steps may or may not be necessary to take.
As I shared with the Board, please know that I am in continuous communication with Page County Public Health and consult with Shenandoah Medical Center (SMC) about COVID 19. We agree that the community positivity rate is of great concern and find it necessary to continue using robust mitigation strategies. There has been some improvement in the local area, but it is not wise to let go of the practices that are known to be most effective. It is critical that you stay home if you are sick and monitor your family members for signs of illness. Doing this is one of the best ways we know how to stop the spread of the virus.
This weekend marks the start of a very busy holiday season, so I hope that you will take the opportunity to rest up a bit before some of the festivities begin. I am regretful that COVID 19 may influence how we celebrate this year, but some things will remain. The meaning of the holidays commonly celebrated over the winter months has not changed. However you decide to celebrate holidays, I would encourage you to consider ways to keep yourself and others safe and healthy as you do.
