Day 2 of an unintended spring break and questions loom large for parents and students.
On Monday evening (March 16, 2020), my daughter asked me, “Mom, do you think we’re going to finish out the school year?”
“I don’t know, hun. I certainly hope so,” I replied.
“I have a feeling that we won’t,” she said.
That idea lingers in the back of my mind. The last week or so of the third marking period and the entire fourth marking period might remain undone. Furthermore, the school district that my children attend does not have online instruction. A recent email did, however, note that information for online resources will be provided so that students might continue to learn various subjects.
The whole thing, the government-ordered/suggested shutdown in an effort to stave off the coronavirus, remains surreal. I woke up this morning wondering if it all really happened. Once the sleepy dust clears, reality sets in that yes, it is real. Very real. Crazy. Overwhelming.
Overwhelming for many parents, especially parents with children who stand to graduate high school and college. Some of these students might not have the opportunity to celebrate milestone that seniors get to experience — class nights, proms, last seasons of spring sports — or some have already received the bad news that they won’t happen. That hurts, but it stands as a lesson that life, at times, just isn’t fair.
For other students, activities — academic, athletic and extracurricular — have big question marks on them. My daughter, for instance, dances with a local dance company and a dance studio. The company’s spring production has been postponed, and the quest to reschedule at a comparable date and location is in progress. The studio’s spring dance recital, so far, stands to occur but that could also change.
In the meantime, we hunker down, try to relax, make the most of time together and wait for things to return to normal. Well, a new normal.
Parent on, friends. We’re all in this together.
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
