Additional Day to Calendar

[Julie Capon]

Dear School Board,

I am requesting additional days not be added to student calendars.   While I understand the need and desire to meet educational demands, as I too was a teacher for over 15 years, I believe there is a greater demand on students and families this year, of al years, to have time to enjoy one another, sports, travel (as it opens back up), family, friends, and social events as we all heal from a very demanding year.  Online school was not easy on parents, students, or the teachers.  Sports, summer activities like the pool, fourth of July, and social gatherings were all shut down last year, and as you know there was the ever present underlying stress and fear around health and employment.  While education is very important, students will perform better if these emotional and social stressors are addressed first and we are all given a little time to rest, regain our balance and heal.  School comes with demands that many parents need time to readdress and so many parents are still waiting to hear if they will return to working on site; in their offices, or stay at home.  So many unknowns still exist.  Perhaps now is not the time to rush to a decision to change what we already know.  Perhaps now is the time to let things breathe and not be reactive.  Please, after all we have all been through, do not cut more days off our time to heal and regain so much of what was lost in our emotional health.  Let us come back to school collectively rested and ready to support you all and our children in their educational needs.

Respectfully,

Julie R. White

Mother of Mid and High school students