Woodson News: Well, now, it turns out…

Well, now, it turns out Covid still can’t keep a good homecoming down, but it surely can postpone it! Woodson Homecoming has been postponed until October 23. All activities will be moved to that week and will occur on the same days of the week.

Well, now, it turns out that if you have too many staff members out, there are not enough subs, and school cannot go on… well, now, at least not face-to-face.

But, it turns out that it can go on through remote learning! It triples the work on this teacher, but worth it to continue to see the kids daily and to make sure that they are learning. I see my kids through Google Meets each class period, every day. They complete their work via Google Classroom. Every kiddo is willing and if possible, they have been in class every day through remote learning, which began on October 5. With any luck at all, we’ll have returned to the physical classroom on Tuesday, the 13th.

Sometimes luck is difficult to come by. As readers know, I had knee surgery on the 17th and can bear no weight on my leg until after six weeks have passed. That is going well. However, during the surgery, the mouthpiece they put in to keep the airway open, shattered a portion of one back tooth. Luckily, it doesn’t hurt. And then, we had a couple of Covid cases at WISD, and school became 100% remote. I was prepared. But, well, now, it turns out, I contracted Covid, too. But, turns out that quarantine is extra “sitting at home while teaching” time, and the knee can heal; the dentist can fix my tooth in November, and despite Covid, I can teach my students effectively. I am praying that my family and the families of those with Covid, can remain healthy. I am very lucky, in fact, blessed.

Please pray for Earlene Bellah. She has pneumonia and is in the hospital.

Please pray for our school, the employees, and the students.

Please continue to pray for Madison Yarger, Ray Lipps, Ron and Vicki Saddler, Patti Patillo, James Potts, Alene Forrest, Pam Butler, Thora and Paul Thurn, Misty Lawson, Jean Brockman, Dale Deaton, Sr., Treon Thompson, Susan Ayers, Ada Smith, Dean Singleton, Kelvin Singleton, Linda Dean, Aletha Creech, Charlene Kite, Frankie and Minerva, Janice Devenport, June and Arliss Willingham, Py Brown, Greg Dunlap, Otis and Delorah Hibbitts, Jeannie and Johnny Stoker, Pam Allen, Barbara and LB, and Carolyn Tate.

Please include our country, our military and our leaders in your prayers.

When we do go back to physical school, teachers will continue to follow protocol, wearing masks when in close contact with students, social distancing when possible, continuing to sanitize classroom fixtures between classes, and following other rules, while educating our kids.

It turns out that we all need normalcy. It turns out that we are not in control. It turns out that we need to try to understand the reasoning behind the actions of others. We need to make the best of every situation.

So, I will do my best to get well and do my best to keep teaching and keep writing the news. I will keep trying to remember to say thank you for each of the smallest favors my friends and family have done for me during recovery.

So, I don’t know who’s playing on the patio. I don’t know what the specials are at the grocery store. I don’t know when or what sports we will be playing, Not sure what the news is in town. But, whatever is happening, it’s Woodson, and well, it turns out that we are a community.