Well, it has been a busy first few weeks of school. And also a bit surreal. In the first three weeks of school, we have had the aftermath of a hurricane, a tropical storm, and massive flooding. We started school on August 29, but because of the effects of the above, we just finished our 11th day of school on Friday.
The routines have been slow going because of the interruptions. We had a full week the week of August 29th, followed by a week comprised of one-and-a-half school days. We had Monday, September 5 off for Labor Day, then we had school Tuesday and half of Wednesday.
Wednesday was an early dismissal due to the pouring rain and flooding occurring here in the northeast. (In some nearby areas the water came so fast that the students weren't allowed to leave until the state police gave clearance to leave. Some students (and parents who came to pick them up when the weather turned) had to end up staying in the schools overnight.) Thursday and Friday we were off because of the flooding of the Susquehanna River in our area. At one point we had part of our interstate, the turnpike, over 150 state roads, and many local roads closed due to flooding of the roadways, sinkholes, or buckled roads. Some are still closed.
My family fared pretty well, only having to deal with a boil water advisory for four days and closed roads. We also took in a few members from our church who had to be evacuated from a flood-prone area. (Good news, they didn't get any water.) Others, including many of my students and colleagues, are still dealing with cleaning/repairing/replacement of flooded basements and homes and the headache that comes with dealing with insurance companies.) By the time we came back on Monday, September 12, it was like the first day of school all over again.
It'll take some time, but we'll be back on track soon. Keep us in your thoughts.
