Next week, Southern Boone students will return to in-person classes for the first time in nearly six months. Six months?! Sure enough, March 18th was the last day that school was in session before COVID-19 changed everything.
I know that September 8th has been circled on a lot of calendars by folks who have been looking forward to the return of school and a sense of normalcy. I also know that just as many people are feeling apprehensive about the date as well. Some of them are children.
I would like to take this opportunity to directly address the students of SoBoCo, on behalf of the teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, paraprofessionals, instructional aids, secretaries, nurses, therapists, administrators, cafeteria workers, custodians, maintenance staff, groundskeepers, bus drivers, and school board members of our district. Parents, I hope you will do me a big favor by asking your kids to read the following letter. If your children aren’t reading on their own yet, please read it aloud to them. Thank you so much.
To the students of the Southern Boone County School District,
Hello, friends! My name is Mister Naughton, and I teach at the Primary School. Perhaps I was your substitute teacher when you were in kindergarten, first, or second grade. You might have even had me as your music teacher last year. (Did we have fun or what?!) It’s also possible that you are new to our school district, and in that case, I would like to be the first to welcome you to the Southern Boone family.
Family? Yep! When you become a student at Southern Boone, you become a part of our family. Just like your family at home, there are people in your school who care about you very much. Your classmates and friends will be there to celebrate with you whenever you do something great, and they will also be there to help cheer you up if you need them to—kind of like brothers and sisters do. (And just like brothers and sisters, your school family members will get on your nerves once in a while, but just remember that they really do care about you—no matter what.)
The grownups in your family love you, and they do their best to make sure you are safe and have everything you need. The same is true for your school family grownups, especially your teachers. When I ask my students what they think a teacher’s most important job is, they usually say, “To teach us stuff.” Actually, the most important job a teacher has is keeping their students safe. That is something for you to remember as we start this strange new school year.
As you know, something that’s on everybody’s mind these days is the coronavirus. The grownups in your family are doing everything they can to keep you safe, including having you wear a mask when necessary, making sure you wash your hands really well, and asking you to keep a little distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your house. Well, the grownups at school will be doing the same sorts of things to keep you and your school family safe, too.
When you arrive at school next week, you will notice that all of the grownups, including your teachers, will be wearing masks. At first, it might seem a little scary, but I want to let you in on a little secret: Behind all of those masks are the beautiful, smiling faces of people who are very happy to see you. You will quickly learn to recognize what “smiling eyes” look like.
It is totally normal to feel a little nervous about the first day of school. I’ll tell you another secret: Your teachers will be a little nervous, too. No one is sure how this school year will go. There’s a chance that we may have to close the school buildings at some point. If that happens, you may learn from home using your iPad or computer to watch lessons and activities taught by your teacher. The most important thing for you to remember is that whether you learn at school or at home, your school family will always be there for you. No matter what happens, you can count on them.
One last thing to consider: This school year just might end up being the greatest school year in the history of school years! Did you ever think about that? With everybody worried about what school is going to be like with this coronavirus stuff going around, has anyone stopped to think about the possibility that all of this might actually bring us closer together and make our school family even better?
No matter what happens this school year, please know that you are not alone. Don’t forget that we are a family, and we can handle anything as long as we’re together. Enjoy your last week of summer vacation, my friends. I’ll see you soon!
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