Message from Mr. Parsley

Welcome VCSC families and friends to the start of the 2020/2021 school year!  Albeit we welcome a new school year that will come with more challenges and unknowns than any other school year in recent memory.  This situation does not deter us. In fact, we in the VCSC are always up for challenges and with this our students, staff and community always deserve the best and the best is what they will get.

Our staff has worked diligently preparing for the start of this new school year and with this putting in as many safeguards as we possibly can.  While we and our local health officials are comfortable with the safeguards we have in place, we realize that not all parents are comfortable with where things stand and more so many of the parents from these households may have situations occurring within where underlying health conditions may be present.

To make sure we are serving the needs of all our families, the VCSC will have two learning options for the 2020-21 School Year comprised of in-person instruction or virtual instruction. This is truly a decision the parent and student must make and we respect and accept this decision. If the latter option is chosen, parents and student must understand that if they are an elementary student they are making a commitment of a minimum of nine-weeks and if they are a middle or high school student, you are making a commitment of a full semester.

It has been repeatedly stated from me that in-person instruction  is what is preferred and with this, students need that interaction with their teachers and along with this the socialization that occurs when others are together.  To me, this promotes the life-long dedicated learner.  But again, we understand in the present time, this may not be possible for every child as I do not know the inner workings of each household.

But with all of this stated, we are excited to welcome students and children back into the VCSC and whether it be in-person or virtual we desire to put our best foot forward.

If we all have learned something through the last several months, it is that we must prepare for the unknown and for times of uncertainty and with this we must be as flexible as we can be.  With this, the virtue of patience must also come into play.

What I can assure each person is that we are excited to get school re-started and more so it brings us back to a sense of somewhat normalcy but with this we also know that we must do this in the safest of all ways and I can assure you as the superintendent of the VCSC that we have worked hard to do just this.

One thing we do know for sure is that Covid-19 is with us and it is going to be with us for the foreseeable future. This means we are going to have to work as best as we can within the confines of this infection while also trying to maintain some sense of normalcy.  For us, that normalcy is conducting school.

Our students will never forget the start of this new school year and with this, they too will make memories that will forever be lasting and the stories that they will share with their own children and grandchildren and others will likely be unlike no other.

But then again, we are all experiencing these memories and lasting impressions. Let us hope that they are somewhat short-lived and at some point, during this current school year that we truly will return to what is the normal we have always known will become present again.

Until then, Go Alices!

Greg Parsley

Superintendent

Vincennes Community School Corporation