Friday news from OPEN GATE

Dear parents and guardians, my great colleagues and dearest students,

During the school year, you always receive the traditional Friday news from both the grammar school and the primary school at the end of the week. Today, however, let me address you in the name of the whole school. We are almost at the end of the second week of online school. We are rebuilding what the school looks like, and we are doing it with you all on the go. This requires a great deal of commitment, mutual support and a determination not to give up, even when things don’t go as planned, whether due to the workload, worries, significantly changed logistics of our families, or technical problems.

However, I have never been more proud of our school. We’ve always been a close community. We have now been separated from each other by this extraordinary situation, but I believe the connection between us is stronger than ever. Many of you tell us stories about the powerful moments you experience. You tell us about meetings that you miss, as well as meetings that have occurred unexpectedly, during which you realized how important to you those who you had seen before are. The established roles and patterns in which we work are changing for all of us. We create new daily routines, personal and occupational. We spend time less together where it used to be normal, and more at places where we have usually spent the least amount of time during the year – at homes, with our loved ones. All of this presents new challenges. We all need understanding, tolerance and a balance of sharing the “resources”, including our personal workspace. We are going through a test of flexibility, patience and willingness to compromise.    

During this period, we think of the others, especially the most vulnerable ones. These are often seniors, chronically ill and isolated. Many of us at home sew masks, volunteer, or spend time with those who feel lonely. Please, don’t forget about your psychohygiene and especially the need to spend time “off-screen”.  

We all deserve great appreciation and thanks for the commitment to deal with this current situation, whether it is professionally or humanely. I firmly believe that we will cope with all the current and future challenges together, and I am already looking forward to our first “offline” meeting, full of sincere joy of reunion. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Yours,