By Catherine Hogan
We have grown accustomed to repetition in our lives. Financial crises have come and gone, and then come again. Fashion trends, for better or worse, have recurred, if in slightly different fabrics or designs. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
Except for this past year. In our lifetime, we have never seen life be like this. There is no “same” about what we have all encountered through this COVID-19 pandemic. We in the world of Early Care and Education have been so impressed watching children 3 and 4 years old courageously deal with this pandemic in preschool. They have had to say goodbye to their moms and dads at the door through face masks, and then say hello to their teachers in the same way. They have had to learn lessons and sing songs through face masks. They have had to breathe, laugh, and even cry… through face masks.
Our preschool children have had to learn things this year that we never had to as children: what it is like to wash hands more frequently than ever, for 20 seconds, and then wash again after every sneeze; what it means to be socially distant and why that is a good thing; what it is like to eat lunch across from friends, seeing and talking with them through Plexiglas dividers; what it feels like to have their parents “attend” special school events on a screen. The children have had to adjust to coming to school, not coming to school, coming to school virtually, and then coming back in person again. Confusing to a child? Absolutely.
And in spite of all this, we have watched these children prevail. They have grown in every way, even while dealing with these challenging circumstances. They learned their ABCs and 123s, but more importantly, they learned to share with, care for, and respect each other in the midst of their uncertain world. And they have done so brilliantly.
In May the CT Office of Early Childhood lifted the mandate that all teachers had to be masked outside. Vaccinated teachers could now take off their masks while outside with their students. That day on the playground, one 4-year-old child looked at her teacher, who was maskless in front of her student for the first time ALL YEAR, and with earnest joy said to her teacher, “I love your face.” That made me cry – children seeing their teachers’ smiles is something we all certainly took for granted before this pandemic. This year has been filled with struggles and less-than-ideal learning conditions. These children have had to leap over so many more hurdles than their preschool predecessors, and yet they HAVE overcome those obstacles with flying colors!
I see the strength and the joy in these young children – and I know they will be okay. We will be okay. Our future, while not necessarily easy, is bright because of our young graduates all around the world. They have had a year like no other before and are still coming out smiling.
And so we celebrate you, “COVID Preschool Graduates of 2021,” as well as current graduates of all ages. You have grown, endured, and learned in the toughest of situations, and you have triumphed. You are the future, and we salute you. Thank you for keeping our hope alive.
So yes, maybe the more things change, the more they DO stay the same, because our amazing, resilient children, as always, continue to be our hope for a better and brighter world.
This year would not have been such a big success without the help of our many supporters, including Morgan Stanley, Lone Pine Foundation, GEER Up, Friends of the Greenwich Library, Filling in the Blanks, Meals on Wheels, the Greenwich Garden Club, and so many others. Thank you, all, for helping us to give these children the best start possible to their educational lives!
