Today, Wednesday, July 1, marks the first official day of the 2020-2021 school year. Whew! But, before we start a new chapter, I wanted to offer a few reflections on what was a challenging 2019-2020 school year. 

Last school year started on a high note. We did things differently. We welcomed our faculty and staff back with team building exercises, instead of endless hours of administrative updates. The students' first week of school was filled with enthusiasm: Balloon arches. The Golden Eagle. Rock-paper-scissors tournaments. Yard Signs. A styrofoam noodle walkway. Kids were excited about coming to school! 

The school year progressed. We even made it through the winter months with only one winter weather cancelation.  

Then came March - in like a lion, and we're not talking about a late season blizzard. Cases of COVID-19 were rapidly increasing in the United States. Schools everywhere, including Keystone Oaks, began planning how to best protect the health and safety of students, staff, and the community. 

But on March 13, 2020, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf made the announcement that the best way to protect everyone, and to slow the spread of the virus, was to close all school buildings for two weeks. An early spring break. If only that were the case. 

To say that the weeks that followed were filled with uncertainty would be an understatement. No student, parent, teacher, or educational leader was prepared to close school buildings, halt activities, and end in-person instruction on March 13. There is not a single undergraduate, masters, or doctorate-level course that covers how educators should handle a pandemic. Trust me. 

Did everything go perfectly? No. Did we make mistakes? Yes. Everyone did. We were all learning and making adjustments together. Will we be better prepared should we face a similar scenario again? Absolutely. 

As I look back on the last quarter of the school year, what I can say with certainty is that I am #KOProud of the way our community came together to support one another and, most importantly, our students.

We launched virtual learning opportunities in two weeks. Teachers and support staff connected with students via live meetings and engaging lessons. Our counseling staff continued to provide support services to students. We distributed more than 400 Chromebook devices. Our Food Service Department served more than 34,000 free meals. We launched a Community Support Program that has raised more than $7,000 and collected non-perishable food items to help provide meals to families. We coordinated drive-through parades, delivered yard signs, and held virtual events to celebrate our students. And, since the last day of instruction in May, the professional staff has completed more than 3,000 hours of professional development to enhance their ability to deliver our curriculum in an online environment. 

So, while we may be looking forward to closing the books on the 2019-2020 school year, all of the efforts we made to overcome a challenging situation should not be forgotten. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for any and all of the circumstances that we could face in the coming year. No matter what those are, one thing will always remain true - Keystone Oaks educators care about our students, we care about our families, and we care about our community. And nothing, not even a worldwide pandemic, will keep us from caring. 

I am proud to be your Superintendent - and I am looking forward to the next chapter in our story. 

William P. Stropkaj, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Keystone Oaks School District