First day of school
It has been more years than I care to admit that I went to school for the first time. My family lived by a small town in northern Wisconsin on a 40-acre section of land that abutted land owned by relatives on all sides.
I had two younger siblings, and we spent most of our time together playing games outside.
Looking back now, it was a much simpler time, but I would not trade that experience for anything.
The biggest thing I remember about my first day of kindergarten was riding the school bus. We had a quarter-mile long driveway that was difficult to maneuver with a bus, but my uncle drove the route and he made a special trip up the driveway to pick me up closer to the door. I was so excited to go to school. Even to this day I can see the big yellow doors opening and that huge set of steps that I was not sure I could climb. At that moment I had no idea how many more years I would be involved in education. Now I am the principal, and it is my responsibility to help the students have the same exciting school experience that I had. This school year, however, has been anything but normal. I worry that all the children, including my own grandkids, will be impacted by our un- usual circumstances. By the end of the day, I am so exhausted, and it would be easy to allow myself to wallow in self-pity. I know that the stress and anxiety I am feeling right now is shared by all of us; but there are things we can do to get us through the curveballs the world is throwing at us right now. The other night, while my husband watched a football game, I searched through classic movies on Disney Plus and found Pollyanna. Yes, this is an old movie, and I am dating myself, but Pollyanna’s message was one that I needed to remember -- find ways to be glad about the tests in life. Being in school right now is presenting new challenges and I worry about the experiences that the students are getting but ... we are back to school. The halls are filled with happy children who are smiling and laughing all day long. Teachers are learning new ways to connect with students and their families. Staff members are taking on new responsibilities all because we all want the same thing, for the children to learn. It is hard to believe, but we are almost through the first quarter of school and with lots of kindness and compassion we will be able to get through the curveballs the world is throwing at us right now.
