Shelter Island School Superintendent Brian Doelger on Friday reminded students and parents/guardians that “one year ago today was our last day in the school for the 2019/20 school year.”
On the East End, schools began to shutdown began on Thursday, March 11, 2020 — starting with The Hayground School and the Sag Harbor and Greenport districts. Shelter Island, along with other area schools, stayed open through Friday, March 12. But by Monday, all announced they would remain closed at least until March 22.
“Think of how much the world has changed since then,” Dr. Doelger said in a recorded call that went out around 5:30 PM. “At the beginning of this year, while being the eternal optimist, I do not know if I was sure we would make it further than last year with minimal interruptions.”
“What I do know is that all of us worked very hard to make it happen,” he said. “We all worked together as a staff, parents, students, and community to find comfort in uncomfortable times.”
After the initial shutdown, Shelter Island quickly pivoted to distance learning. Teachers and staff assembled packets for home instruction, including Chrome Books and other electronic devices to ease the transition to virtual instruction. Almost immediately, the district began meal delivery to students at home (see our coverage in this post with behind the scenes photos by K.C. Bailey).
“None of us were perfect and I am sure I made mistakes along the way. However, we plugged along, did the best we could, learned from our mistakes, and as I noted earlier, we made it further through the year than perhaps any of us could imagined.”
“One thing I always try to remember is that these past 12 months have been tough on everyone. Let us all try to remember to treat everyone with kindness, compassion, and patience as we continue to fight through the end of this pandemic. I am certain that once this is over, and the end is in sight, that we will be a much better world for it.”
How much has changed
Dr. Doelger also noted how much has changed since the earliest days of the pandemic, when uncertainty was the norm.
“This past week we had our first sporting event with limited spectators,” he said. “.It ended with a girls varsity volleyball victory! Our intramural program continues to carry on. We are also looking at putting together an after school music intramural program.”
An elementary play is in the works and will be recorded so that it can be shared with a wide audience; and the secondary school is planning a production, too.
“Next week we have our National Junior Honor Society induction,” he said. “This will be recorded and sent home to parents.”
In another sign of progress in the fight against the virus, Dr. Doelger reminded students and parents/guardians that Friday, March 19 will be a distance learning day because Stony Brook Southampton Hospital will be using the school to administer the second round of COVID vaccines to the 503 members of the Island community who had the first round three weeks earlier.
“There are a great deal of things to be excited about with spring around the corner,” he said.
Photo credit: K.C. Bailey, April 2020
