Well, we’ve almost made it! As the 2020-2021 school year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their patience, flexibility, and resilience throughout the year. I am very proud of our MERSD community, as it always strives to put students at the center of decision making. Our educators have shown heart, professionalism, and creativity in their efforts to make teaching and learning amid a pandemic accessible, innovative and exciting. Our School Committee has provided sound and thoughtful leadership during an unprecedented time, often making difficult decisions, in order to provide our students with the best learning opportunities. Our parent community has shown flexibility, patience, and support. The communities of Essex and Manchester have a strong reputation for their commitment to high-quality schools, and our continued success is a community effort!
It has been wonderful having all of our students back on campus this spring and a welcome pleasure to once again celebrate our traditional end-of-year ceremonies in person with you all. Our entire community should be proud of how our students have preserved throughout this unique challenge.
I am excited for next year! At this time, we believe that we will be able to eliminate social distancing constraints and return to a traditional school day set-up. Masks remain a question, but I am optimistic that as vaccinations become available for younger students, the state will relax requirements for masking in school. Although we are excited to return to a normal beginning of the school year, our equity goals and our experience with innovative teaching and learning methods throughout the pandemic will play a prominent role in our planning efforts. With the help of our Strategic Planning Steering Committee, we’ve been able to evaluate community input, and over the summer the leadership team will be working on a District Improvement Plan to guide our work going forward.
I wish you all a very restful summer filled with family outings, leisurely days at the shore, and time to get back in touch with friends.
Happy Summer!
