Our new norm looks very different from a week, a month, or even a year ago.

On this day, one year ago, I was working at the Australian International School in Hong Kong. We had been in hard lockdown since Chinese New Year after the news of the outbreak on the mainland. Our students had been online for 28 weeks - nearly 3 whole terms. The Year 12 students were preparing for their exams and dreaming of a new life at University, The Year 6 students were wondering if they would still have a Graduation disco, and the Preps were learning to write words and small sentences with abstract but wonderful illustrations.

We were the only school to be given permission to return in a “capacity”. The doors slowly opened, temperature checks were given to everyone, hand sanitiser was splashed around like glitter, bleach was used on every surface hourly, and social distance was adhered to on the playground – even while eating. Through it all, the Parents and Grandparents were grateful to have the kids out of the apartments, and the kids were grateful to be back with their friends. Us teachers were amazed to see how much they had all grown over the past 9 months, and even the pets enjoyed the time to finally have a quiet home to relax.

My message to you is that everything will be okay once we come out the other side. Your children will continue to thrive, our teachers will continue to adjust to the changes in teaching, and we as a community will be able to celebrate the resilience of us all. Thank you for providing our students with love and patience during this time, and remember to be gentle on yourselves too. We know you’re doing the best you can and we celebrate that for you!

I chose this Prayer hoping it will provide you with some further comfort. If there is anything we can do to support your family, do not hesitate to reach out.

Stay safe, and keep well.