School

On Monday we had our first online Staff Meeting. The direction was that we were to have content for kids online by next Monday. There wasn't a whole lot of clarity around what that would look like and exactly what it would be, but grade teams were to talk to each other and make a plan to go forward. I'm on music island of course, and not part of one grade team, I'm part of eight. I don't know exactly where I fit, or what I should be asking of kids...

Also in the meeting we were told the school would be opened up for us Wednesday and Thursday. We would be given a 15 minute window to go into our classroom and grab our stuff.

When I walked into my classroom this morning I started to tear up. I wasn't prepared for or expecting an emotional response. I want to be in my classroom with my students. I don't want my classroom to be frozen in time because of some crazy global pandemic.

I wanted to stay and linger, but I needed to honour the 15 minutes, so that other people could have their 15 minutes.

My last day of school was Friday, March 13th. My girls had enjoyed a P.A.day and were home with their Dad. I knew that there would be an extra two weeks of March Break, but that was it, that was all. I didn't think we'd return to school on April 6th, but I wasn't sure. School is now out until May 4th, but in other provinces they've said goodbye to the whole year.

I don't know when I'll be back in my classroom. I don't know when life will return to normal or what normal will look like on the other side of this. Today it feels hard and sad. The sun is shining brightly though, so that's something.