It soon will be a time of new beginnings for this year’s high school seniors. Even though their senior year hasn’t been what they anticipated, now is the time to be following through with plans for what comes next in their lives.
I’ve always been a fan of the holiday season, much like all of you I’m sure. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that the things I like the most about the holidays are the traditions – decorating, spending time with neighbors and special dinners with friends and family.
November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time for us to bring attention to the prevalence of homeless youth within Kentucky and create an awareness of the challenges faced by students and families experiencing homelessness.
This year, Oct. 18-24 will be recognized as Kentucky Safe Schools Week. This annual event – which has recognized issues such as preventing cyberbullying, hatred and violence – has taken on a bit of a different perspective due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I know this is the most unusual opening Kentucky – and the rest of the country – probably has ever had. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and I stand ready to help all our districts as the school year begins.
Dear Public School Family: I just wanted to thank all of you who attended the “Reopening Kentucky Schools: Virtual Town Hall for Educators and Staff” on Thursday. We had more than 3,000 people watching this town hall, which was designed to share information about the guidance documents the Kentucky Department of Education has released and to answer your questions. [...]
All of our schools have now officially finished instruction for the 2019-20 year and what a finish to the year it was. I know I have said this before, but I want to thank you again for everything you did to help your children – our children – complete the school year during this unconventional time.
As this school year draws to a close, I’d like to thank you on behalf of KDE staff and the education profession for your assistance in ensuring Kentucky students continued to learn during the extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We understand the pressures you are facing as you balance caring for children, helping them learn and, in many cases, continuing your own work.
With all that has happened in the closing weeks of this school year, you may not want to think about what the next school year will look like for your children just yet. That’s certainly understandable given that we have all been working so hard to complete this year under extraordinary circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 emergency.
In Kentucky, when someone asks you, “How are you doing?” saying, “I’m fine” is almost a reflex action. These days, however, it’s almost certainly not true. I think it’s safe to say that none of us has truly been fine in the weeks since the COVID-19 pandemic changed all of our lives – and that’s fine.