Greatness Happens Together

 

Welcome back to the 2020-21 school year! And what a year it’s been. Most of us didn’t grasp how much the COVID-19 pandemic would change our lives when our students left for Spring Break last March: the school closures, the lost jobs, the protests, the calls for social justice, the economic distress, and worst of all, the loss of so many lives. I can’t recall a more difficult time during my 24 years in public education. It would certainly be understandable to be pessimistic during such times.

Challenges aside, I remain optimistic. We have seen so many positive stories since PLCS opened its doors on August 11th. Students and staff are doing a fantastic job wearing face coverings. Our custodians are working diligently to clean and sanitize our buildings. Parents are doing an amazing job symptom screening their children every morning and modeling good hygiene practices. District teachers, both in person and remote, are supporting our families and providing the world-class instruction for which PLCS has long been known. Our reopening efforts have been a true team effort.

It is fitting that the PLCS District theme for 2020-21 is Greatness Happens Together. We owe so much to so many. Our staff, our families, our students, and our community have all shown us what greatness looks like every day. There are many obstacles ahead of us to be sure. The District is attempting to balance the demands of a traditional in-person school day with a new, dedicated online school for our remote learners. Kinks in our lunch protocol are still being worked out. And social distancing will continue to be difficult to practice at all times particularly in our larger buildings. I am confident that we will address each of these challenges with your help and patience.

In closing, please be kind to us and each other especially our teachers. They are working so very hard to support you and your students. This is uncharted territory for all of us. Mistakes will be made and plans will change. But we will get through this and emerge on the other side even stronger. Our District’s best days are ahead of it. Greatness Happens Together. 

Andy