First Day Back

When we looked at the calendar last summer, we had no idea what random dates could come to specify. Some dates emerge as more important than others. For example, birthdays and wedding anniversaries tend to be pretty obvious recollections, but in school terms, there are still others. Personally, I remember June 12, the day I graduated from high school, and May 29, the day of my college graduation. I recall November 3, the day I played my last high school soccer game, and March 17, when, as a young sports broadcaster, I called an ECAC hockey championship game for my alma mater.

March 13, 2020 is one of those days. We walked out of the school last year, called to an uneasy and impromptu administrator meeting at central office, not sure what the days to come would bring. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and, then months even became a year. Words do not easily define the uncertainty of last spring, the sadness that came with the cancellation of so many things we hold dear, and the tension of not knowing if and when anything would return to normal. Words like "hybrid," "synchronous," and "contact tracing" became everyday parts of our vocabulary, and our administration exchanged iPads for observing classes with tape measures to determine desk spacing.

My hope is that April 5 will continue to stand out, perhaps for the opposite reason. True, it is one of my daughter's birthdays, so it already has significant personal meaning. From a professional standpoint, though, today marks a significant moment in time, for we welcomed back more than 500 students to UHS for the first time in about 390 days. It was different. It was certainly not the same vibe as March 2020, but it was also dissimilar from October of 2020 as well. There were more than a couple of students trying to navigate classrooms for the first time, having been remote all year, and there were still others who were trying to sort through procedures for lunch, buses, and corridors. Hot lunches came out of the oven, students went back and forth to classes, and everyone shared responsibility for keeping spaces clean.

For the millionth time (or so it seems), our teachers pivoted - sometimes quite literally - their teaching. Classroom spaces rearranged for what seemed like the umpteenth time since September. Some fought through vaccine side effects, and others reset their methods in the room to suit who was or was not in front of them. Some things stayed the same - once again our school nurse was on the phone and emails to clear students and communicate with families and staff dealing with health concerns. While the state set no deadline for returning secondary students to school, UHS did so efficiently and effectively, with the same professionalism that has been the hallmark of this staff since the day I arrived. 

We are hardly out of the woods. The virus has not yet been eradicated, and many in our community are in line for vaccinations. The school year will have many challenges still ahead of us - MCAS, planning a safe graduation, continuing to support some of students and families with the emergent emotional challenges, closing out the 2020-21 school year with some gusto. All of that considered, April 5 was a huge step in getting back to our "old" normal and in feeling like we could regain control and even win this long, arduous battle. We saw in the responsibility our students collectively shared behind their masked faces - and the way today, albeit briefly, seemed almost like the way things ought to be.

We thank you for your collective patience and support. As I shared with the staff at the end of the day, the fun part is getting to get up tomorrow and do it all over again! And, in time, experiences like April 5 may seem more typical, and days like last March 13 (and everything in between) will become stories that start with "remember when..."

Thank you, as always for the support.