Butler School District 53 Families and Staff,
As the weather is becoming more stable, the cadence within our family and home is also stabilizing. School end-of-year activities are beginning to take shape. You see it within our district and on news reports from across the country. These events and rites of passage are different than what we could ever have imagined.
What was strikingly obvious to me this past week was the giving of others and gratitude from students affected by these changes. The care, compassion, and humanity of society is radiating and refreshing. Strangers taking the time to send a virtual message, celebrities offering their time and talents, students sending messages to their teachers, and teachers responding with a phrase of “I miss you, too”. Our students are valued. And yes, they are missed by our teachers.
Tom Hanks recently gave a commencement address at Wright State’s virtual graduation. Within his speech, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted that “...part of your lives will forever be identified as ‘before,’ in the same way other generations tell time like ‘that was before the war, or ‘that was before the internet,’...” “The word ‘before’ is going to carry great weight with you.”
Our staff, parents, community, and especially our students are resilient. One day, they will tell their own story of “before the COVID-19 pandemic” to their families. They will speak of the time after, and how they adapted, came together, and persevered.
Happy Mother’s Day to those who are celebrated, and those who honor their own mother.
Wishing you a safe and peaceful weekend,
Sincerely,
Dr. Paul O’Malley
Superintendent of Schools