We know that right now, things are uncertain. Things are changing rapidly and sometimes that can be scary. But we want you to know that we are still here. We still care, and we will continue to support you. We are not going anywhere. Because in times of uncertainty, it is important to have a support system. We want you to know that you can count on us, you can count on each other, and we WILL get through this TOGETHER. So how are we going to do this? First of all, it is so important that you stay active. Find something to do everyday. Keep your minds working.
Your teachers at Ovid-Elsie know how brilliant you are, and we don’t want the world to miss out on your potential. It has always been our mission to prepare you for the world ahead, and our work is not over. But we are no longer there to tell you to pay attention, to focus and stay on task, so YOU are going to need to do that. Not for your teachers, not even for your parents, but for yourself. If we only spend time on our phones, or social media, there is so much that we will miss out on. We know that you all deserve better than that. So don’t stop reading, learning, and growing. Outside of academics, there are many other ways to stay active. Get up and move every day. Even if it is only for 30 minutes. Physical activity is good for both the body and mind.
Also, find something that is important to you, and work on that every day. Join our Get Better Challenge. Find a skill, hobby, or topic you want to know more about. And while the world is trying to get better physically, let’s focus on improving ourselves. Make a daily routine and follow it. Don’t let yourself get bored. Do yourself a favor and use this time to create positive habits. During this time you are also going to need each other. So stay connected in as many ways as possible. Reach out to friends, even if it has been a while since you have talked. Start a group chat, Facetime, instead of texting, make an actual phone call. Whatever it is, we need to keep communication open and stay united as one team.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to us, even if it is not about academics. Send us an email about how things are going. Because we miss you too. Although isolation is not easy, and I think we can all admit that social distancing is hard, right now it is what we have to do to stay safe and protect the members of our community. At OE, we look out for everyone, we always have, so stay home when possible. We can use this time to make connections virtually that we may not have had in the past. If we look at this through a positive lens, it could make all of the difference in the world. Our time is so valuable, and right now we are blessed with more time than we have ever had, to do more of what we want. We need to use this as an opportunity to focus on who we are, what
we want to do, and how we are going to make that happen. Don’t let this change the core of who you are.
OE has always been a strong community, and this does not change that. We will get through this together. As a team, we are OE, and we’ve got this!
Special thanks to Monica Spicer and Denise Willbanks for editing and contributing to the narrative.