We survived

Quote of the week:  Some old saying about not wanting to see how sausage is made  

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Well, if I thought last week was hard, this week was harder.  The days before the first day of school are always messy.  It's like the saying that you don't want to see how the sausage was made, you just want to taste the final product.  Usually, on the first day of school, you can smell the delicious sausage being grilled with onions and peppers.  Bulletin boards decorate classrooms,  student name tags are on desks, and the playground during that first recess rings with the sound of children finding friends they haven't seen all summer.  Not this year.  The halls were eerily quiet,  and while some students were virtually meeting with their teachers and classmates by 9:00 am, others weren't even sure who their teachers were, or were struggling to find the correct Zoom link.   It was messy, and it was on display for everyone to see. 

I received a lot of emails this week, and I read them all.  I didn't respond to all of them however.  If I had an answer, or at least an idea of how to point someone in the right direction, I answered as quickly as I could.  

I'm looking forward,  hopeful that we will all figure out how to best support our students, and each other, during distance learning.  Teachers should have been in contact with all of you.  Our continuum teachers at Ocean Shore are setting up conferences with parents all next week.  Please reach out to your teacher if you haven't yet set up a time to meet.  It's more important than ever that we communicate with one another.  Teachers are also reaching out to schedule times to pick up books and supplies. 

I don't yet have a date for our virtual back-to-school night, but will share as soon as I do. 
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We are still passing out Chromebooks to those that need them.  Please contact Barbara Bualat (bbualat@pacificasd.org) if your child needs one.  The district office has ordered more hot spots, but we don't have them yet.  

I don't know how I would have gotten through this week if it weren't for my incredible staff.  I can not imagine a better team to work with.  Their dedication to all of our students and the amount of time and effort that they put into our community inspires me on a daily basis.  I'm so grateful for them, and for all of you.  Thank you for your patience as we navigate this messy beginning, and work toward creating a successful school year for our children!

Take care,

Jeanne

Sunday, August 23, 2020