Today marks the first day of fall, the beginning of a new season. For many in our community, this continues to be a challenging season of uncertainty. Our staff, students and community partners, are all working hard, going above and beyond to keep ourselves and each other safe. Every day brings new challenges that need to be addressed. We continue to do our best, given the complicated circumstances we face in the middle of an ongoing global pandemic.
As we approach the celebration of Thanksgiving in just a few short weeks, I would like to invite you to join me in cultivating a spirit of thankfulness in our community. Take a moment to share something you are thankful for in this season to inspire hope and lift one another using the hashtag #ocsbThankful on social media.
I am #ocsbThankful for the excellent, dedicated staff of the Ottawa Catholic School Board who did the unthinkable and managed to launch two virtual schools in a matter of weeks. The logistics required to pull this off were nothing short of incredible. Although there were some bumps along the way, we still managed to get most students up and running for in-person and distance learning. Thank you to the countless staff who worked extra hours, came up with innovative solutions to ever-changing challenges, and came to work with a “get it done” mentality. As a community, you’ve put into practice the well-known quote by St. Mother Teresa, “Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.”