Thread by @TheKatieLe

Dear Friends, I wish I had hard and fast answers and advice for you on making your decisions for return to school. By now, you have hopefully seen the letter emailed to you yesterday from the Superintendent describing the choices in front of all us parents (and teachers too). 1/

My advice at this moment is to maybe speak to your health care professionals, meet as families, make charts to list and compare pros and cons (leave them up to add to for a few days because you won’t think of everything in one sitting) 2/

And listen to your heart and gut and do what’s best for your child. If there’s one thing I can say of Cunningham Park families, it’s this -you have gotten your children through this so far, you will get them through the next part too. We will do it together. 3/

Whichever decision you make, there will be highs and lows. There will be huge successes and there will be hiccups. There will be questioning and there will be certainty. Keep in mind, our partnership is so strong, we will navigate all of it together and with love 4/

And in the end, as long as we act from love, we will come out stronger, better, smarter, tighter, and in community. 5/

Two commitments I have for you now, even among much uncertainty: 1) We will remain #OneSchool. We will forge relationships that transcend brick and mortar so that all are included, whether on campus or virtually. 6/

2) We will find joy and fun as we grow together through this unprecedented time. That might look like School-Wide Morning Meetings that are held outside to be socially distant, with virtual friends projected on the side of the school building so we’re all together, 7/

It might look like me scavenging for attractive 6 feet circles of carpet to mark student spaces with comfort (not sure those even exist, but we’ll figure something out that’s kind and welcoming), it might sound like singing, will definitely sound like laughter 8/

And while I can’t at this moment describe to you in hard and fast detail, I can say for certain, we will carry Cardinal Pride into this next school year, with an emphasis on Lifting Everyone’s Voice -students, staff, and the CPES school community. 9/

You will receive a survey from FCPS to respond to by July 10th. After that date and we receive the results, your gifted CPES staff are at the ready to motivate into community outreach, curriculum planning, class placements, and setting the stage for an unprecedented year. 10/

Working closely with the PTA and central offices, we will roll out plans that include safety and wellness in line with CDC and Health Department guidelines, which we will follow with vigilance. As we speak, different staff members are honing their skills in blended learning 11/

We have a cohort of staff signed up to attend a virtual conference on Distance Learning in a few weeks. In short, we are psyched, and are prepared to jump once the starting flag is waved. 12/

Monday, we will send information detailing optional summer Continual Learning opportunities via News You Choose. In the meantime, we hope your children have time to rest, relax, read, get bored, pull themselves out of boredom creatively, play freely, read, get sunshine, 13/

Journal, play music, sing, read, get moving, laugh, connect with family and friends even if virtually, sit and ponder, think, ask questions, explore curiosities, love, read, feel peace, and finally, read. I am here if you have questions/ thoughts. 14/

These times may keep me hopping, but it’s still too quiet and lonely without children around, & I love to hear from you so always feel free to reach out. Take care of yourselves. Remember above all else, we are living through a pandemic and a massive Civil Rights movement, 15/

And we are doing it perfectly imperfectly and beautifully. ♥️ /16