Esther Kennedy: A WOW moment in the Gilford School District

To The Daily Sun,

Today when I was in the Gilford Elementary school I saw a little boy wearing a crown. His class had made crowns to show we had been in school for a 100 days. The little boy looked up at me and said with a very joyful expression “We have been in school for 100 days.” As an administrator in the Gilford school district, this was a WOW moment!

The Gilford School District has been fully in school since Sept. 8, 2020. Now there are a few families that have chosen remote, but the majority of our students and teachers have been coming to school every day since the 8th. (One hiccup at Thanksgiving for the district but it was only for two days.)

I’m proud to be a part of the Gilford team of students, staff, parents, and school board members. I know you have given your ALL so we could be in school.

You have the strength to walk into our buildings every morning not knowing if today is the day you had close contact with COVID-19, and will be sent home to quarantine for 10-14 days. I thank you for wearing your mask all day. I know for some this was a very difficult task. At this point in time we all have overcome hurdles and are able to attend class with a mask.

Academically you have become a mathematics genesis in understanding six feet. You have gained the talent of switching, at a moment’s notice, to remote education. It is clear we have become Google classroom experts, and the creativity that I have witnessed during our online instructional times has been nothing short of amazing.

As a group you have lifted the Gilford community up with your music concerts and your Broadway shows viewed with a COVID-19 twist. You have worked hard at your sports practices not knowing if there will be a game tomorrow. You are winning your games without the many fans that wish they could be in the bleachers to cheer you on. You are continuing with the Gilford traditions in the best way possible. Who would have guessed that we would be playing winter carnival chess online?

We have been in school for 100 days travelling the unknown COVID-19 experience together. I could not think of a better team to travel this journey with than the Gilford school community. We will not have to worry about telling our grandchildren that we walked to school for miles in ten-foot-high snowdrifts. We can tell them about COVID-19 and what we did to attend school every day. Our grandchildren might not believe us. However, we will know it is true because we experienced it together!!

Esther Kennedy

Director of Student Services

Gilford School District