It Takes a Village
5/24/2021
Way back in August, I wondered how PNA could truly expect to stay open with a pandemic raging all around us. I am not a pessimist; I am a realist, and I understood the science being learned and shared at the time. I was nervous. And yet, as time went on, and the members of the class got to know and understand one another, it became clear that everyone (families included) were following protocol and staying safe. By the end of the first trimester, I knew that we were going to make it through the year. The members of the community - both inside and outside of the building - are the reason that 130 students were able to have in-person learning all year. There are very few students in Alaska that had that experience this year. While students did not get a “typical” PNA experience, in a year that was anything but typical, just being around others provided some kind of reassurance and stability that allowed for a “readiness” for learning. There were so many normal activities, games, outings, or community driven events that we could not do, yet all along the way, support from the families made this year at PNA a success. We know what is best for kids even when we are thrown into a set of circumstances we have never lived through before. It has been incredibly strange to not see parents roaming through the school or into the classroom at the end of the day. I can’t wait for those days to return! But being able to make the rules together and changing them when they were no longer working is the beauty of a school like PNA. PNA is a school that is anchored in its community and can change to meet its needs quickly. Making sure that our young people become contributing members of a community happens when the community is committed to the outcome. It takes a village to raise a child, and I can truly say that I am proud to be part of this village! Comments are closed.
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Sarah Mariner
Ms. Mariner earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University, and was awarded a teaching certificate through the University of Alaska, Southeast. Her varied background includes being an environmental education field instructor in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Baja, Mexico. She also served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Archives
April 2021
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