One Year Ago...


Exactly a year ago today I received an email from one of my students at Northwestern University —where I was working at the time–asking me to call him on his mobile phone. He had failed to turn up to a meeting that morning, which was most out of the ordinary. I knew he had just returned from a trip to Egypt but was not anticipating what he was about to tell me. "I've tested positive COVID" he whispered into his cell phone to me. "I'm case number 6 in Illinois, you may have seen it on ABC Chicago.....and my wife is case number 7." Then he paused. "I'm fine, but she's not doing so good, she's at NU [Northwestern Memorial Hospital] on a ventilator." I was speechless. Michael's wife recovered and she has minimal lasting health issues, but thousands of others have not been so fortunate. 
 
The day after I received the email from Mike, in-person learning at Northwestern ground to a halt. Two weeks later it started up again, in remote form. The learning curve was huge, even—or should I say, especially—for lifelong learners. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives and some things may never be the same again. There is light at the end of the tunnel though: positivity rates are dropping, and by the end of the school year...

...every Lakeview teacher who wants to have the vaccine will have it. 

We are on the home stretch (see below). What does this news mean for Lakeview's health & safety policies? For now, until the end of the school year it is business as usual. We continue with "Protect, Distance, Disinfect" because we must. Frequent hand washing is not something that I ever want to go away, ever, in the history of everything. But face masks and social distancing, well...if my cloth face masks suffer a tragic accident in the washing machine one day and can't ever be worn again, I won't shed a tear. Nevertheless, if we continue to do what we are doing, while honoring the traditions that are most dear and creating a sense of normalcy, we will get over the finish line—a mere 9 weeks away. By working together to mitigate the virus, we can finish strong. Here's what Lakeview has accomplished in the 2020-2021 school year:

Instructional Days Canceled Due to COVID-19 in 2020-2021:
0 days 

Remote-Only Days:
Upper School - 10 days
Dec 11-18, 2020 and Jan 4-8, 2021

Middle School – 4 days
Jan 4-8, 2021

Lower School – 0 days

Lakeview Activities that have Continued During COVID-19:
GraduationBaseball
Spirit WeekBasketball
Senior GamesCheerleading
Homecoming + Homecoming QueenCross Country
Senior NightFootball
CandlelightGolf
School AuctionSoccer
Lanierland Basketball Sporting Clays
MacaBaREt – Upper School TheaterSwimming
One Act PlayTennis
Middle School PlayTrack & Field
RoboticsVolleyball
Giving AssemblyWalk-outs
Chorale ConcertCanned Food Drive
Father Christmas (Santa) visit - my personal favoriteFaculty & Staff Appreciation lunch
May DaySpelling Bee
Field DayRunning the Halls

A year ago, I would never have believed it possible, but our community efforts have truly paid off. Now, just imagine what Lakeview can achieve when COVID is out of here...
 
Back
Lakeview Academy is a private, coeducational day school for students in preschool through 12th grade, located in Gainesville, GA minutes off I-985/Hwy 365.
© 2023 Lakeview Academy. All right reserved.