In my family, we've made a school-year tradition of Friday night pizza - made together to eat together. It's a simple pause in the week, but it brings us closer to unwind, connect, reflect, laugh a little, and look ahead into the weekend and week beyond with fresh eyes and enthusiasm. Now, more than ever, we need a pause like this.
Last night the Governor announcement that schools will remain closed through June and have until April 13 to develop and present learning plans for the rest of the year. As a parent, educator of many years, local school board member and partner in this network, I urge us to give our educators a pause.
Let's take the time to unwind from the stress of the past weeks so that we can think clearly.
Let's reflect on what has worked and where we have fallen short, on who is thriving and who is suffering.
Let's connect with other educators and community partners who have experiences, ideas and resources to offer.
Let's share some joy and laughter, because these are as important for clear thinking as they are for the soul.
And let's look ahead and plan with fresh eyes towards what is needed, what is possible, and where we want to be when the current crisis has passed.
We are living in a time of shared, ongoing trauma. It would be a great failing if we did not recognize and apply what we know about trauma and learning for all of us during this time.
This will take days, not hours.
Please join me in calling for statewide, region-by-region professional learning days during the next two weeks. Our eduators and learners deserve this. Our community partners are ready to jump in to support, plan and collaborate. Let's reach out with love and accountability to those in positions of power and ask that we work together to support equity, sustainability and joy for all our learners.
What to do: 1. Contact your local superintendent and ask that they implement three professional days within the next two weeks to pause, reflect, and prepare for the remainder of the year. 2. You could also contact the Agency of Education and your local legislator with similar requests. 3. Share this email across your network!
On a personal level, I hope you have your own version of pizza night coming soon: a regular walk, a meditation routine, or reading aloud at bedtime. For my part, I'll raise a slice to you tonight - it's Friday!
New and Corrected Resources
CORRECTED LINK: VT Afterschool's Resource Library for Youth-serving program professionals, youth and families
NEW: QuaranTeen Virtual Science Cafes and other Teen Science Resources from UVM extension 4H
NEW: Vermont Folklife Center's Listening in Place" project - a participatory interviewing and sound recording project offering ways to connect and document our collective experiences during the pandemic
NEW: Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. "This is NOT a history book. This is a book about the here and now. A book to help us better understand why we are where we are. A book about race."
NEW: FridaysForFuture - Greta Thunberg's platform just launched Talks for Future - this week with Naomi Klein and Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum.