April 26 Update

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope everyone is doing well.  This past week felt very different because even though most people are not surprised by the news of schools being closed for the year, the reality of this idea setting in brought out a lot of different emotions in everyone in my family.  My oldest daughter, who is a sophomore in high school, sobbed in a manner I don’t often see from her when she heard the news.  She initially felt angry because it was very unjust that her ability to be with her friends and do the things that she liked doing with them was taken away.  She then felt disappointment because all the things she had looked forward to doing in this Spring all evaporated in a span of a few minutes.  I think all students across the country are feeling this way.  They are all grieving the loss of normalcy and the sense of belonging to a community.  I have no doubt we adults are all feeling this way as well.

We started our Distance Learning program with a focus on enrichment and extension.  We then shifted gears to include teaching new content, grading and accountability.  Now that we know we are implementing Distance Learning for the long haul, McCall teachers, staff, and I are adjusting our thinking about it once more.  I know students miss each other, and they miss the teachers and staff; just as we miss our colleagues, and we miss our students.  Therefore, I am working with McCall staff members to make sure we are always thinking about how we can create opportunities for community building and human interactions to occur in the Distance Learning classes, in the teams, in each grade levels, and McCall as a whole.  

I am already seeing a lot of great things happening.  I know there are teachers holding Zoom sessions to teach students content as well as to give them the opportunities to socialize with each other.  Mr. Awiszus, our Engineering and Tech teacher, is working with the 6^th grade teachers to plan a virtual engineering day.  Ms. Johnson, our drama teacher, is holding rehearsals with the virtual drama club to get ready for the virtual performance of “10 Ways to Survive Life in a Quarantine”.  Extracurricular activities such as the QSA, Student Council, and 3D Fab Clubs are all still meeting virtually so students have these opportunities to continue to maintain their social connections.

I often think about how I would like to remember these months under quarantine.  When this all ends – and it will –  I hope the movie I play in my head about the end of the 19-20 school year is not like the movie Groundhog Day where one day blends into the next, and I go through each day feeling very little with nothing to look forward to.  I do not want our students and our teachers and staff to feel that way either.  Therefore, we will continue to work hard to make sure that sense of community is maintained as much as possible.

Thank you and stay healthy!

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

April 19 Update

Dear Parents and Guardians,

How are you? I ask this question not as a typical greeting we offer each other at the start of a conversation, but I ask this questions out of a sincere curiosity of how you all are faring with the impact of the pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home order. I suspect many of you are feeling like Larry, a parent and advice-seeker, who wrote to a therapist in the advice column from The Atlantic which I will include later in this message.

Larry wants to know if he is doing enough to help his children cope with the stress and isolation that comes with being kept at home for an extended period of time. Like him, I bet many of you wrestle everyday with questions such as: Am I pushing my kids enough with Distance Learning? Am I being too permissive with screen time? Am I doing the right thing when I prioritize my own responsibilities over helping my child with her Distance Learning work? What will I do if my child falls behind?

In her beautifully written response, the therapist asked Larry to consider what a good airline pilot will do and say when her plane encounters turbulence. She might be worried or even be scared, but she would regulate her emotions, tap into her resources, ask her passengers to take the necessary precautions, and let them know they will ride the turbulence out together.

I think during any time of uncertainty when there are more questions than answers, all of us are looking for someone who is in charge. That person may not know exactly what to do at every moment, but she can make us feel that she can guide us through the turmoil without offering us promises she knows she cannot keep. That person can only do so if she keeps herself physically, emotionally, and mentally well.

We are all flying through a pretty rough patch of turbulent air right now, and our students are looking for the adults around them to be in charge. That begins by making sure we are in control of ourselves. Yes, your children’s education during this period of school closure is important. However, thinking about your children’s Distance Learning experiences may not be helpful if you are not spending more time considering their as well as your own well-being.

The following advice the therapist offered to Larry resonated with me:



“Steady yourselves first, then listen to your passengers on this voyage, validate their feelings, communicate honestly as circumstances evolve, and be flexible about shifting course as conditions change. I say that if you take this approach rather than worrying about the right projects, the right amount of screen time, the right words to use, you won’t even need the PA system for your kids to hear the one message they need to feel safe right now: I’m here, and I’ve got you.”

Here is the rest of the article.


So, I will end this message by asking you again, “How are you?” If the answer is, “Not well”, I hope you will take time to center yourselves so you can be that reassuring pilot for your children who are riding through this turbulence with you. We are fortunate to be part of a community that is able to offer a lot of resources to help those in need. Therefore, if you need support with meeting you or your family’s needs, please check out the district’s COVID-19 website. It contains information related to health and wellness, support for food, as well as myriad of other resources that the school district and other community organizations offer. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need support.



Stay healthy and stay strong!




James Lin 
Principal 
McCall Middle School