Richland Springs ISD issued the following announcement.
Where is Texas going in regards to education of our students in response to the coronavirus? Let’s go back to the spring of 2020. March 31, 2020-Gov. Greg Abbot tells Texans to stay home except for essential activity in April. Schools remained closed for the remainder of the school year, in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Parents were thrown into the role of home school teacher. The 2019-20 school year, with the longest spring break ever, ended without much fanfare, and graduation events were subdued or even cancelled. Stores ran out of toilet paper?? Dr. Fauci educated us all on the symptoms of coronavirus, use of facemasks, social distancing, and the race for the vaccine. Few persons wore face masks.
Summer was upon us. Still, few persons wore face masks. Online shopping became more popular with home-deliveries of E-Commerce goods. Gov. Abbott opened up commerce in Texas. Coronavirus numbers rose. Dr. Fauci and Gov. Abbott educated us on the symptoms of coronavirus, wearing of facemasks, social distancing, and the race for the vaccine. More people began wearing facemasks. While protests and riots arose in all parts of our country, school officials listened and interacted on ZOOM conferences to the ever-changing discussions and updates regarding the start of school in 2020-2021. Stores now had plenty of toilet paper in stock. Everyone wondered, ‘Would students be able to return to the classroom? Would there be football allowed in TEXAS?’
Alas, parents across Texas gave a sigh of relief when Gov. Abbott announced schools were allowed to open their doors again to students. It became a local decision to reopen the school doors. Many large schools in Texas are starting the school year totally online. Smaller schools with lower enrollment can more readily manage the flow of students. UIL announced that 1A-4A schools could begin football! Stadiums will be limited at 50% capacity and fans need to wear masks, but as of today, there will be Friday Night Lights in TEXAS. UIL could change their decision if data shows that attending football games increases COVID cases. Each individual school developed their Back-to-School Plan and communicated their plan to the constituents of the school district. Face masks became part of the students’ supply lists.
What we have all learned is the ability to adapt to change. Use of hand sanitizer and washing hands has become habit for most of us. Not everyone has developed the habit of wearing a face mask when social distancing is not practical. We hope our ‘good’ habits will keep the number of active COVID cases low in our county! Where will Texas schools be in regards to the coronavirus in May 2021? The only thing constant this year will be change. Most parents in San Saba County gave a sigh of relief when all three school districts opened their doors to students. Face-to-Face instruction with the teacher and social interaction in the classroom is the preferred method of instruction for educating our students. All three school districts in San Saba County receive COVID case updates from Marsha Hardy, Emergency Management Coordinator for San Saba County. With each update to schools, Marsha Hardy includes this message: “Simply: wash your hands, wear your mask, pay attention to your surroundings and, mostly, be kind!”
It takes community support for students to excel in their efforts to achieve. We have great students, teachers and staff. 2020-2021 looks to be a great year! It takes everyone working together to achieve success. We all need to hear kind words in these stressful times!
Community involvement is the key to our success!
Original source can be found here.
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