More Students Return, Reopening Continues

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Dear Long Beach Unified Community,

This week, more of our students returned to schools for in person instruction. As I visited middle and high school classrooms across the city, I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with students who freely expressed themselves. I heard stories of the difficulty of being home for so many months. I heard how being isolated impacted one student’s self-confidence and sense of wellness. I heard how hard it has been to keep up friendships through a phone or computer. I also heard a number of stories that reminded me of just how resilient and strong our 菠菜网lol正规平台 students are. While some students expressed feeling anxious about the transition to school and how hard it was to set their alarm clock and get out the door, they also all shared the joy of seeing peers, interacting with their favorite teachers, hearing a staff member call their name across the quad and the chance to walk into their school’s Wellness Center, listen to music and simply “chill” between classes in a place where they are known and loved.

The past year has changed us as people, and it has changed our students. In the best cases, our students have developed a stronger sense of community, a new level of empathy and an awareness of how hard the world can be for many people, including their peers. It has also been a year of loss, suffering and difficulty. There has never been a more important time for understanding and empathy in our schools than right now. 

I have loved hearing from teachers about how they have so thoughtfully planned for their students to return – and for nurturing those students who will stay online. I have observed teachers pausing and listening to students in new ways and encouraging them to “take their time.” As I stood in a classroom at Renaissance High School on Monday when seniors returned, the teacher beautifully revealed his own challenge of simultaneously teaching to in-person students, or Roomies, and virtual learners, or Zoomies, and asked the students to give him the chance to work the kinks out in the first few days. What an honor to witness the authenticity between teacher and students in the sacred space of one of our classrooms. This kind of interaction is why I went into education many years ago. It is through each interaction that we have the opportunity to impact the lives of our students.

Next week, the remainder of our high school students who have chosen in person instruction will return to campus. What I know for sure is that our 菠菜网lol正规平台 team – teachers, administrators, support staff – will work to make the best use of the ten weeks that still remain in this school year. 

I have mentioned in previous community messages that we are hard at work planning for summer learning, including opportunities for enrichment and social emotional support. We are also planning for full days of school, starting in the fall. That means an all-day, in-person schedule for all students who want that (and the option for families to choose an online program if they desire). Of course, our greatest plans are always subject to shifts in our community’s health, but we are truly hopeful.

I want to leave you today thinking about the power of education. The first week of May is a time when we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day across the country. I hope that you will take the time to reflect on the significance of education for our students. Whether you are a parent, guardian, grandparent, friend, spouse or community member hearing this message, please take a moment to thank a teacher this year. It has been an incredibly difficult year for our teachers, and a message of encouragement has the potential to help a teacher smile and persevere through these challenging times. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Jill

Jill Baker, Ed. D.
Superintendent of Schools