A crazy, wonderful year

When we walked in the doors of the schools last August, no one knew whether or not we’d be there for a week, a month, or any days beyond.
There was a mask mandate in place, and a constant debate raged regarding the effectiveness of personal protective equipment in deescalating the spread of COVID-19. 
Some students “forgot” their masks on the daily, so our office had a ready supply to help them out, while some students were vigilant in their mask-wearing.
Some students opted not to return to school, so teachers accommodated that choice by teaching virtually as well as face to face each day.
As the year progressed, some students began to use the option of attending class virtually if they just didn’t want to go to school, so teachers often had to set up impromptu Zoom, Google Meets or Teams meeting on the fly.
Fortunately, the district prepared for the needs of virtual instruction prior to the start of the year, so I and my colleagues were able to prepare for any option early, rather than having to scramble to stay one step ahead of our students.
Canvas made the dissemination of materials and even lectures and videos possible as well as giving students the ability to submit assignments from anywhere they happened to be when they were due.
Academics were, of course, the top priority for the schools, however, sports seasons are also a huge part of the high school experience so there was the uncertainty of if, and how, those would play out.
The fall sports were iffy. There were no volleyball tournaments which usually dominate the pre-season, and there were no regional tournaments either. The quadrants played each other and it was a one-and-done scenario meaning if you won your quarterfinal contest, you earned a state tournament berth. Talk about high stakes!
There were football and
volleyball games cancelled due to positive COVID cases — thankfully always on the opponent’s team. Cross country had to revise their usual schedule so they didn’t have to cross state lines to compete. 
It was weird, but we made it through. However, the uncertainty of winter sports getting started was high as November got under way. A surge in positive cases across the state began because Wyoming finally caught up with the rest of the country, and as the Thanksgiving break drew nearer, a shutdown of a daycare for quarantine nearly sent us into Tier 2 due to teachers having to quarantine with their children, so there was a lack of substitutes to cover those classes. It was touch and go whether or not the start of basketball, wrestling and boys’ swimming would be delayed. 
Fortunately, we were able to squeak through that crisis and remain in school, so sports began as scheduled. But again, they looked different.
There were no tournaments or interstate competitions for basketball or wrestling, so there was another scramble to fill up schedules, and Newcastle found themselves up against some new, and much bigger, competition including a trip to Laramie to take on the Plainsmen and Lady Plainsmen. 
It was an interesting way to tip off the season, but speaking of tip-offs, the game itself changed in that there were no jump balls to determine possession for the start of contests. The idea was to try to limit the exposure of officials, though I thought that whole concept was a little silly given the close proximity of all on a basketball court.
Regional play looked the same for basketball as they had for volleyball, and the state tournament was run separately for each class, but we got to play it, which was awesome. It was also a little surreal as our Lady Dogies made the trip to Casper, because it marked the one-year anniversary of the beginning of our ‘new normal.’ 
By the time spring sports got under way, there was a notable sense of relief given that soccer and track had missed out on their 2020 season. Vaccinations had begun, and the nature of outdoor competitions relieved concerns of the powers-that-be, so regulations and restrictions were relaxed. In fact, both sports had uninterrupted seasons with track participating in more meets than they had in years because Mother Nature decided to let up a little bit. 
I like to think she decided to have mercy given the losses they had already experienced because of COVID.
As I wrote my state tournament and state meet articles last week, as I attended graduation parties and as I signed my students out of class on Thursday, my heart was happy. We had made it. We had finished each season, and finished the school year with our kids in the classroom. 
As a teacher, there is just no better feeling. It’s been different, and sometimes frustrating, but I can wholeheartedly state that the 2020-2021 school year has been crazy, but wonderful.