A New School Year, New Challenges
Preparing for Weekday Preschool this year is different than any other in the 10 years that I have been leading this preschool. Even the first year, when everything was new and I did not really know what I was doing, was easier than this one! We’ve been busy reimagining everything – from the way the kids play with toys, the way they sit at the tables, the way we clean the space, the way we administer snacks, the way our staff handles sickness, literally everything. We have reorganized the entire supply room to facilitate quick to grab bins of toys for daily use. We have created a new cleaning process that is very thorough. We have designed a new, stricter sickness policy. We are planning to teach extensive lessons about cleanliness and handwashing. We are not allowing bookbags, and we are taking temperatures. We are not allowing parents in the building, but rather accepting children through a car line and sending them home through a car line. We are going to be wearing masks. Out of everything we have had to change, the last two are the hardest for me to accept. One of the most wonderful aspects of the Weekday Preschool is the relationships we build with the families through time spent with them in our building. Our new policies limit the interaction between families and staff for everyone’s safety. Instead of seeing a warm, friendly smile, children will see a mask. These are things that break my heart as a Director, and as a parent. I know God has a plan through the COVID pandemic, and I trust Him that He knows best. We must go through the situation we have been given and try to find the nuggets of wisdom that God is giving us. I am praying that God will reveal Himself to our parents this year through our interactions, even though they may not be what I wanted. I also know that God has promised not to leave us or forsake us. He is with us in this storm! As we proceed with an opening date of September 8, we are apprehensive. If we have an outbreak of COVID it will be bad. But if we do not proceed at all, that would be much, much worse. We bring God’s light and peace to our community – one family at a time. It is because of this that we persevere. We are welcoming our families back with a masked smile and optimism that God will work this year like He always does!
