Dear TQS Families,
“The little reed, bending to the force of the wind, soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over.” — Aesop
Even in the depths of January, when the sky looks like wet newspaper and the air is so cold it punches you in the gut, I find it amazing that most people still look up with optimism.
“Look! I think I see a ray of sun!” “It’s definitely getting a little brighter each night!” “Tomorrow it’s going to be warm - 40 degrees!”
That’s what I love about our TQS community. This hope in the face of literal darkness is what has made our school continue to thrive as each challenge has been sent our way. And now it’s paying off — things are really looking better.
TQS finally began this week with 100% of faculty and staff in attendance. That’s right: for one whole day, no one was ill. It seems the worst of the Omicron wave is cresting, and we are seeking out those figurative sun rays once again.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your partnership and patience during these last few challenging weeks. Over the holidays, every time I opened the newspaper (yes, I still read a physical newspaper every day), I read about the rapid spread of Omicron and its mild yet highly contagious nature. However, it wasn’t until we all returned to school that the reality of what it meant to be in an area of ultra-high transmission set in. I appreciate your understanding of frequent staff absences, the possibility of short-term divisional or whole-school closures, and of course, the snow days. You are all wonderful.
No matter the external situation of the world, my goal is always to deliver our life-changing and critically important mission to our students — and we know this is best accomplished through live and in-person instruction. Yet, it will snow. There will be isolated, mild COVID outbreaks. Through all of this, the schools’ priority will remain safely providing the highest quality in-person instruction every school day that we can.
There are steps you can take to help the school deliver this mission:
-
Continue talking with your students about masking and frequent hand washing (for at least 20 seconds)
-
Please, please, please stay home if you are sick
-
If they are not already, get your student vaccinated – it’s the best way to avoid getting COVID or having to deal with a five-day COVID isolation from school
You have all been amazing partners, and I cannot be more grateful for your support. I am also so thankful for our amazing faculty, who have been flexible, dedicated, creative, and hardworking as they do everything they can to ensure instruction is minimally affected during this time.
Please continue to stay optimistic and patient as we wait for the rainbow on the other side of this storm. Remember: it’s as a community that we #shinetogether.
Shine on,
Alex