Dear CCS Families,
“Welcome back!” takes on a new meaning this fall. I shared with our staff, that we have all experienced the trauma of a pandemic for almost six months now with the changing tides of information, guidance, and uncertainty. We have learned it is hard to fight an enemy you cannot see and planning for the unknown is now our daily challenge. I know we all long for the predictable, traditional start of school, but this year is just different.
I am extremely proud and thankful for the extraordinary effort teams from all across the district have given to build two educational programs in every school, run simultaneously, so our families could choose the best option for their children.
A person asked me this summer if I thought teachers and school staff were “essential” workers. My answer was that after parents, I believe educators are the most influential people in children’s lives. This year educators may be even more essential because our kids need to be academically challenged, they need social interaction, and they need to be known and loved by their teachers and school staff.
I do not know if our current reopening plan will last weeks, months, or the whole year, but I do know that every minute a student spends in contact with our teachers and staff, either virtually or in-person, is worth the hundreds of hours our team has worked to find ways to connect our students with their teachers.
Finally, one of the unique attributes of this pandemic season is that it has divided so many people. There are strong arguments on every side of every detail as we have moved forward. We have done our best to follow the guidance of the medical community at the local, county, and state levels. Then, we worked within those guidelines to design and provide the best educational programming possible in this environment, but it can only be successful if we all work together. One thing we all have in common is that we want our students to have a quality educational experience and we appreciate your partnership in making that happen.
Thank you for your support, patience, and partnership in this journey,
Dr. B
Michael J. Beresford, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Carmel Clay Schools
Together We Achieve