Looking for ways to continue educating our children, teachers all across Hamilton County are innovating, crafting and redirecting the education process.
It's inspiring.
Like Katie Gibbs and Ashley Narramore, third-grade teachers at Nolan Elementary, who in addition to the added tasks of delivering the lessons their kids need through Zoom, email and other tech tools, are teaching grace to their students.
For a recent homework assignment, Gibbs had her class write "Thank You" notes. Sure, too often the "Thank You" note feels like a lost art of civility, right there with "Sir" and "Ma'am" and listening.
The destination of these Thank Yous is what turns Gibbs' gesture from lesson to legendary.
Gibbs' students wrote thanks to medical professionals who are working to treat patients fighting the nasty coronavirus.
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"My sister is a CRNA in Boulder, and having a first-hand account of what it's like on the front lines makes this pandemic even more real. The stress they are all facing between being exposed and also having their hours cut is hard to watch," Gibbs said. "And back here at home, the teachers and students and parents have been working so hard from home for two straight weeks of distance learning. I decided we all needed a break - so we scrapped the day's lessons and decided, in the words of Mark Twain, 'The best way to cheer yourself up is to try and cheer somebody else up.'
"The task for the day was to write a thank you letter to someone who is ultimately risking his/her life so that we can continue to live ours. We wanted them to know we are thinking of them and are so grateful for the work they are doing. They are the real heroes today."
Some of the letters
"Dear Nurses, Thank you for helping people that are sick. You're really helping people stay safe and healthy. Good Job! You are like Superheroes. Be careful. Love, Kyra"
"To Medical people. Thank you for helping every person you need to help. You are so good at your job. I feel so safe because of y'all. Thank you. From: Rhett"
"Thank you for doing all you do. Thank you for putting your life in danger for us. You're doing great and stay safe. Love Heath and Simon"
Well done, gang.
Obit observation
In more than a decade as this paper's sports editor, one of the lead-pipe certainties of the job was if I had a message - be it voicemail or email - from Wes Brown, then that meant we forgot the Washington & Lee football score in the Sunday paper.
Period.
That will not surprise anyone who knew Brown, who died earlier this week at age 90.
In fact, the passion especially was part of the lasting legacy of one of this area's best-known champions of public golf.
He left imprints on other passions like his family, McCallie School and local politics, but there are few people who shaped and helped the robust local golfing scene like Brown did.
Here's hoping he's teeing it up up there this afternoon. And that God remembers to put the W&L score in the paper.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @jgreesontfp.
Jay Greeson