Well folks, we’re rounding the bend into springtime 2020, and many have begun to wonder if Stephen King wrote the screenplay for this year. To say that we’re in uncharted waters is a massive understatement.
With the spread of COVID-19 into a global pandemic, many are finding themselves under self-quarantine. Great swaths of the country are seeing school districts shutting down, and office buildings are closing in favor of working from home. But even with these measures in place, the spread of the virus is not slowing as quickly as hoped.
In response, many cities are taking the added step of enforcing a curfew, and businesses are closing their doors until the threat has passed. But for now, cases are still on an upward trajectory. There is still a lot that is unknown. We’re getting a handle on it, but it’s taking a lot of cooperation. We are being asked to work together on new, unprecedented levels. From the highest-ranking government officials to the Average Joe, no one is immune to this threat, and (almost) no one is going about their business as usual.
The various government responses to this pandemic have been interesting to watch. Some really bold steps have been taken, and certainly, some opportunities missed. But mostly there is a clear collective urgency, an understanding that we need to work together.
We are all doing our part – big and small.
But one of the biggest personal challenges with this new virus is both big and small. The biggest thing that we can do as individuals, is nothing at all. Just… sit at home. It’s a small thing, but it’s harder than it seems. We’re not used to having so much downtime, so much togetherness with our families, and it shows!
Free Online Course Keeps Kids In The Know
One of the big concerns with sitting at home and doing nothing is all the learning that’s not getting done at school. Many are making the argument for using this time to learn about other things in life; how to change the oil in the car, how to plant a garden, or bake a cake. There’s a ton of validity to that, and thanks to all the time that we’re not sitting in traffic these days, there’s ample opportunity for all of the above.
But it’s important to keep an eye toward hitting the books too, and thanks to Scholastic, that’s now possible. “As more and more teachers, students, and families around the world are affected by the coronavirus, our priority is to support them in the best way we know how — by providing them with rich stories and meaningful projects that will keep kids academically active,” Lauren Tarshis, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Scholastic Classroom Magazines said. (1)
To begin with, they are offering four different “sections”, based on age group and grade level, with 5 days worth of learning content in each. As we walk into this new frontier together, additional content will be made available.
Though this is a scary time that’s full of uncertainty for a lot of people, pockets of goodness are showing up everywhere. This wonderful gift from Scholastic is just one example. Life is asking us to get creative and be wiser with our time and interactions. Many of us are rising to the challenge, and generosity such as this is certainly getting some attention. Working smarter, together. Go humanity!
