'The time we have together is precious, both in person and on screen.'

Virtual working, teaching, learning, and living is challenging. Struggles do beget innovation, and from that we’ve created exceptional learning experiences for our students in MUSD EducatEveryWhere. Technology has allowed us to stay connected with each other from anywhere in Milpitas, the USA, and the world. We are in our students’ homes, and their parents and caregivers are in our classrooms. Yet, a screen between us hinders the organic connection that ties us closer in community. 

In the last five days 1,805 of our learners stepped onto campus to be in person with the 966 MUSD team members who have invested so much of their lives to support our students, their families, and each other.  The time we have together is precious, both in person and on screen. Masks can’t hide the smiles in our eyes and the excitement in our students’ voices. However, feelings of trepidation may not be so apparent. Wonderings of how we will maintain the quality of learning for both those in person and online creep into conversations about how version 3.0 of MUSD EducatEveryWhere is progressing.  Ingenuity in how to maximize the time for both groups of students also emerges. 

As Esmeralda Santiago points out “How can you know what you’re capable of if you don’t embrace the unknown?” The year with COVID19 has been fraught with unknowns… we didn’t know exactly how we would build our online learning classrooms, how we could support our students with special needs including social emotional welfare, or how we would be able to provide learning experiences in music, PE, or art virtually.  With this opportunity for expanded in-person learning we have new unknowns to work through, and we will do it just as we’ve done before, together. 

At the forefront of our partnership is knowing we depend on each other to uphold our compact for safety and security. We will continue to maintain the more stringent precautions of 6 foot social distancing, twice monthly COVID19 testing for on campus students, and staying home if a student has travelled more than 150 miles out of Santa Clara County.  Meeting strategic goal #1, build a Culture of We, requires a commitment to persevere through the unknowns together. 

Committed to Our Community of Learners,
​
Cheryl Jordan

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