Berkley School District issued the following announcement on Mar. 20.
Dear AMS Parents
This week's update will focus on reflection. It bears repeating that we are all currently experiencing uncertain and unprecedented times. The ongoing developments and news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic can easily consume our thoughts overloading us with feelings of stress, anxiety, and sadness. While I can't predict what lies ahead, I can tell you with certainty that we will all persevere together. Our school, district, and community will continue to support one another as we all try to navigate uncharted territory. While our current circumstances are less than desirable, I am comforted by the many acts of kindness I have either seen or read about through various media outlets. This helps us all to maintain hope and reinforces our strength as a community.
As we have now completed the first week of homeschooling, I hope things have been manageable for you and your family. I can imagine for many of you, your patience has been put to the test; I know mine has. As both an educator and the parent of a 1st grader in our district, I have the unique perspective of viewing education through two lenses. As I reflect on our recent events, I think we all would agree that this week has brought to light what we have all know for a long time. Teachers are our most valuable commodity and effective resource when it comes to providing a quality education for our children. While we have done our best to provide numerous online resources in an attempt to provide some level of education to our students, none of these can replace what our teachers bring to the classroom each and every day. Most importantly, the one component that can not be replicated online is the human element of developing meaningful and long lasting relationships with our students and their families.
I know right now that many of our students, their families, and our staff are struggling emotionally to process our current circumstances and the sudden and unexpected life changes that have been thrust upon us. The lack of in-person interaction has brought about feelings that we did not have time to prepare for. Even though it has only been a week since the closure of school, it feels like a lifetime. I know I speak for our entire staff when I say that we have deeply missed seeing our students and eagerly look forward to returning to school on April 13.
In an attempt to give our students, families, and staff some level of comfort and encouragement, I will be doing a Facebook Live video tonight at 6:30 p.m. For those who do not currently "like" or "follow" the AMS Facebook page, please type @andersonmiddleschoolvikings in the search to find our page. While several results may come up, the official AMS Facebook page has a Viking as the profile picture.
I will continue to send updates as new information becomes available. Please join me tonight at 6:30 to watch my live video message. In the meantime, my wish for all of our families and staff is to be well and stay healthy!
Sincerely,
Michael Ross
AMS Principal
Original source can be found here.
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