The Year That Time Forgot

Ooof. This is not the right way to end a year that was, overall, pretty great. The class was one of the best groups of kids I've ever worked with. We should be at the park playing games and grilling hotdogs, tossing frisbees and laughing. But we're not.

The kids gave a lot for us. They're generally not the ones who take the brunt of the virus, but their freedoms took a big hit. They got through 'til now with a good deal of grace, all for the protection of the community. We see pictures of nurses and doctors, grocery workers and paramedics, and we call them heroes. But they got paid, and in many cases they took positions purposefully. To help us, come what may. 

But it's your kids that are the heroes of this unfolding story. The did not sign up for this, and the only reward they get is the appreciation we can give them. They may not even get to look back on some pivotal moment, the toppling of a wall or parades for victory. They don't get a brave new world, no matter how brave they've been.

In a year that started with Greta and children's marches for the survival of the environment, we should be celebrating the end of coal, or cleaner rivers and oceans, but we are not. We should be celebrating the passion and action of our youth, but we are not. 

The best we can do is to celebrate them in small ways, and maybe that's always been the most important part. The medals and parades will have to wait, but the time to honour them is now.

Please have a wonderful summer with your kids. 

Bryce Woollcombe

SIMS Teacher