As Maryland moves into Stage 2 of re-opening and the sun shines brightly on warm spring days, I almost have to remind myself we are still dealing with a pandemic crisis. These months have felt like a roller coaster ride.

I weep for our country as social injustice continues to tear us apart, yet our staff and students give me hope.

This week’s Off the Cuff features a guest blogger whose son attends Tuscarora High School. See her message about a special project THS undertook to encourage students to wear masks for community safety.

As we all struggle with the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis, I have been encouraged by the ways our staff and students have risen above the challenge and found a positive outlook about this experience.

Frederick High School senior Christopher Pondoc is today’s guest blogger. He writes about ways the “new normal” that is COVID-19 can prepare students to become stronger for years to come.

This week’s blog continues to recognize the valuable contributions of FCPS staff as we navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

As a school system, we have faced many challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis. Today’s blog is dedicated to the FCPS staff who are everyday heroes on the Business Services team, making a difference for so many people.

After several weeks of “distance learning,” it is important for students to stay engaged. While recognizing how stressful things are right now, the effects of losing an entire quarter of learning could have a significant impact going forward.

We humans are creatures of connection—we were born to be social. It’s how we have survived and thrived for thousands of years, and it’s captured in the wisdom of an old saying, “It is in the shelter of each other that we grow.” Even so, there are times when we cannot gather, and now enforced social distancing due to COVID-19 keeps us physically distanced from each other. Today’s message is from guest blogger Lynn Davis, FCPS coordinator of Mental Health Services.

Isn’t it ironic that the tools we worried were making us less connected are the same tools that enable us to stay connected during the pandemic crisis?