Dear Friends, Family & Neighbors,
In this photo, you get a glimpse at some of my first moments with my adopted daughter Rory.
This year she will be a 1st grader and enrolled at Queen Kaahumanu Elementary. Whether our kids are enrolled in a public or private school,
parents don’t know what “back to school" really means
for our daily lives during this pandemic.
Can I plan on going to work while my daughter is at school? Should I plan for a sitter in case the situation worsens? How do I feel about exposing our beloved teachers (and their families) to the dangers of this disease? Can I piece together enough human engagement and learning stimulus to keep her closer to home and academically on track? Should I expand our “germ pod” to include a few other families and we pool our resources together to take turns or to hire a teacher.
We are going to have to make some risk/reward assessments beyond what our schools are able to provide given their own risk assessments and liabilities.
We will need to look into our own capacity to help others and accept support
. Some refer to this as mutual aid. Others call it community. And some are lucky enough to call it ohana.
We will all need to think creatively, resourcefully, and humbly to meet this challenge.
This challenge is greater than schools and government can solve.
As a parent, I understand your family's struggles and am committed to finding compassionate and effective solutions
so that all of our children can thrive.
