Superintendent’s Message

 SC public schools will remain closed for the duration of the month of April due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Two Weeks In, Now What?

At the beginning of this week, we completed the Governor’s original mandate to shut down schools. Although most of us were not optimistic the shutdown would be over by the end of March, it was at least a goal for us to keep in sight. It appears reality has taken over as schools will be closed for at least the month of April as the Coronavirus is making a path throughout the state and country. We’ve learned that it’s not just like the flu, it doesn’t only affect older people, and that toilet paper is essential. We’ve turned our houses into home-schools and our electronic devices into radios and newspapers just to keep up with what’s going on in our world and in our neighborhood. But now what? It's hard to comprehend that we can keep this pace for April.

When should we expect to get back to normalcy?  I fear that we will have created a new normal. I’m not sure what that may look like, but it is hard to imagine we can just return to our routines and pick up right where we left off. It is difficult to throw out everything we have been accustomed to during April and replace it with a structure that is totally unfamiliar to us. A parent dropped by and asked if we can open schools merely so his son can resume rec ball at Leda Poore Park. Wasn’t April supposed to be synonymous with Opening Day for baseball? It's not difficult to see signs of Spring as we drive around. Flowers are in full bloom, the sound of lawnmowers are easily heard and pollen is changing the color of our vehicles. Yet, the parking lots of our schools are empty. There is no bell telling us when to change classes and the lost and found tables indicate that all coats have been found.

So what do we do? We keep learning! It's not the same and it sure isn’t as fun without our friends and visible social networks, but it is still important. We are not guaranteed that our future education is behind brick and mortar school buildings, but we still have the education to achieve. It just may happen to look a little different than what we expected.

Dr. Richard Rosenberger

Mission & Vision