First thing this morning, at 6:50 am Pacific time, I joined with nearly 500 high school students for the opening session of the 2020-21 school year.  For the first time in my professional life, I spent the first day of school at home.  Okay, to be honest, it’s not even technically home.  I’m at my in-laws house waiting to make the physical move to Costa Rica later this month.  Regardless, I wasn’t at school, and for an educator, that’s an unheard of way to start the year.  I’m sure our students felt similarly out of place, dressed in their school uniform shirts, planted in front of a computer screen in their living rooms.  Not exactly the way they envisioned beginning this year of high school.  

Yet despite the physical distance, I could sense an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to be back together.  There is something about the start of a school year that transcends the current pandemic.  It is one of those human experiences, shared across the globe, that simply has to go on.  While the mechanism for bringing our students and teachers together has changed, there was still excitement and anticipation to reconnect.  

At my house, my own kids are gearing up for a new school year with anticipation.  Last night, I sat with my 11 year old daughter, who will be starting middle school.  I was helping her get the apps downloaded and tech set-up to access her orientation sessions and classes. She was excited to preview her schedule and see how she would access all of her courses.  Then, she noticed a classmate had sent her a message – a simple introduction and invitation to connect.  She was elated.  Her first comment to her younger brother was that school hadn’t even started and she had made a new friend.  Her excitement for a new school year with new possibilities was palpable.  

I’ve similarly watched behind the scenes as our staff at Lincoln has been working hard to prepare for the launch of school.  They have participated in countless teleconference calls, distance learning & software Q&A sessions, and asyncronous workshop sessions, all in the spirit of improving their ability to engage students virtually.  Great teachers thrive off of the energy of students, and our staff has been seeking out ways to better connect with our students, recognizing that the foundation of powerful and personalized learning is always quality relationships.  

I guess setting out from the shore into turbulent waters has always been an exciting but nervous endeavor for us human beings.  You could see that mix of emotions this morning in our students’ and staff’s faces.  The prevailing sentiment of the meeting was an acknowledgement that yes, this is a strange way to start a school year, but also a commitment to give it our best.  I appreciated the comment made by Scott Garren, our high school principal, that we will all have to be a little more forgiving of one another as we navigate the highly uncertain but certainly memorable waters of 2020-21.  

Yes, school is about academic training and the development of skills and abilities.  But it is also about our very human need to connect to others, build friendships, and experience life together.  Our back to school meeting this morning was a powerful reminder, especially during a pandemic, that we need school.