Today...come 1:40pm...the WDS 20/21 school year will officially be in the books! 145 days of whole school IN PERSON learning will be done and dusted. To think, in August we were hoping to clock a month of in-person learning and in the end, we only had to be fully remote for 12 days! Sure, some grades had longer Zoom spells, but as a school - we did what we set out to do...IN. PERSON. SCHOOL!
I am still processing this year. My first year in an administrator role. I joked with my head of school mid-year that I felt like I had training wheels on, but I was stuck in a grate and just spinning. Wasn't falling over...but also just spinning my legs endlessly. This year was no cakewalk (not that I expected it to be...). I pushed myself in new ways, I learned more each day than I actually thought possible, my Apple Watch had to remind me to breathe several times an hour, and I cried more that I laughed most weeks.
I feel very proud of what I did. We kept these kids in school. I made connections with my teachers and others at the school. I found my new professional community. I was asked by many kids if I would be back in the fall and when I told them "yes" they were so happy (I am the 4th admin for many of them).
Even in the day-to-day managing of school during a global pandemic, we brought so many amazing things to the school. Book Character Day. A new 5th-grade graduation ceremony. We found ways to reinvent the traditions that made WDS the place to be: color war, milestone events, informal programming. These children didn't miss out on anything this year.
There is a laundry list of skills I have now I really never imagined I could do: contact trace, write communications about remote learning and quarantine, eyeball a 6ft distance between children or desks, and more.
I adore my admin team. Even in the midst of the insanity and headaches, we found ways to laugh, de-stress, and just remember to breathe. We make a great team and there is no way we'd have gotten through the last year-plus without each other.
And here we are...At the end of a chapter we never thought we'd write and never thought we could predict. I still have a few weeks until my summer break kicks in, but for now...I will revel in all of our successes this year. Even in the chaos, there were many, many of those!
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15 thoughts on the matter:
it's fantastic that you are so happy with your work. Sounds like you did a great job this year! My youngest just finished school. We are done! I am so happy :)
Great job my friend!
Bless you,
Jennifer
...being a teacher isn't easy, my three kids are teachers. Keep up the good work. I can't find the link, my post is at:
https://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-moments-of-happiness-we-enjoy-take.html
Having spent the year subbing, I have so much respect and admiration for the veterans of this school year who have shown up every day for the kids. Bless you!
You did it! Congrats.
It sounds like the year went well, congrats! My Son In Law is IT admin for a school district, remote learning has brought about so many challenges for both staff and students.
What a beautiful post, Tamar! Congratulations on a successful school year in the middle of some crazy times! Keep shining bright, my friend. I hope you have an amazing summer!
Shelbee
www.shelbeeontheedge.com
Yay! That's such a good feeling and I think it's wonderful you were in person for most of it!
Congratulations! I love the big banana!
Have a blessed day!
Thanks for all you do!
Well done and you made the kids happy too!!
-Soma
Congratulations on a successful school year!
I am so proud of you and your whole team for this amazing accomplishment! You did it! (I had no doubts about this, but seeing it in print made me smile so much!)
That's great! Teaching kids must be most satisfying!
Great job as you made through the most interesting of year.
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