To the editor:

I would like to take a moment to publicly thank everyone working in the Lake Placid school system for the grace and intelligence with which they handled an impossible task. Doing anything in a pandemic year is a challenge, to say the least. Even something as simple as going to the grocery store suddenly became fraught with choices and insecurity. Do I wear gloves? Do I leave the food outside for a day? Do I say hello if I see anyone I know (not that it was easy to recognize anyone with masks on anyway)? The rules were constantly changing, and still are. The “right thing to do” is different for every family.

That reality is difficult for any organization, but a school, which is charged with nurturing and keeping safe the most precious among us, faced an impossible task. Despite this, they had the courage to reopen fully, which is something few other schools even attempted. I am certain this decision was not easily made, but I am positive it had the best interests of our students in mind. They had the flexibility to pivot when new information was given. When the first few cases of COVID presented themselves in our school, they reacted swiftly, but with a non-alarmist, common-sense approach. They communicated constantly.

My husband and I have three children in the Lake Placid school system: one in the high school and two in the elementary. We felt safe sending our kids back to school. Our kids felt safe in the hands of teachers, custodians and administrators who really stepped up for them in an amazing way at a very scary time. Thank you for taking care of our children and putting them first. We are lucky to have you.

Sincerely,

Jenn Webb

Lake Placid