We are still trying to be as safe as possible to mitigate the spread of COVID_19 as we want to keep our school open and running. So we still have students in pods, even outdoors. However, one day, we ended a virtual assembly early by 15 minutes and the kids asked if they could have an extra recess. So we took them outside, all together. A student tugged at my shirt and said, “Am I allowed to play with my friend (who wasn’t in his pod)?” I looked at him and said, “YES!” He shook and then he cried. He hadn’t played with his school friend since Covid started. He was so excited. This broke my heart.
The very next Friday, we pulled together for a schoolwide festival where students played pumpkin/squash bowling, carved apples, played a monster mash dodgeball type game, and a ring toss game. We ended the day with a frozen treat for everyone. It was 90 minutes and it was so nice to hear and see kids active, engaged, happy, smiling, and being kids. And guess who else was really happy? Staff! It was a great morale booster for all!