March 24, 2020

In 1995 I worked in a small independent boarding school that overlooked Lake Champlain. As the newest dorm parent I was relegated to the tippy top 5th floor. Behind the cramped kitchen galleyway, a short wall separated a four-step flight of stairs that led out to the fire escape which met the bottom of the pitched roof. After an uphill bear crawl I often found myself on the roof. 


A place of excitement and solace, we could watch the 4th of July and New Year’s Fireworks, see planes adjust their flight pattern over Lone Rock Point toward the Burlington airport. The Adirondacks, Giant Mountain, Sawtooths, Marcy, all loomed in the distance. The ferry crossing to New York left a soft white wake rippling wide to the shore. 


One sweltering summer afternoon my 4 year old daughter and I could feel the dense, heavy air. We smelled kinetic energy sucked into a blanket of humidity. At a dreadfully sweaty moment we climbed the steps, creaked open the door and stepped onto the wrought -iron slatted landing, then climbed past my large Christmas cactus. The plant was in a 5 gallon terracotta pot.  We settled onto the ridge and looked at the southwest sky. Distant rumbling echoed up the lake. The water became still, like glass reflecting the expanse of itself. Then slowly from way down at Crown Point, we could see bolts of light, reaching from the sky, touching the earth, then instantly disappearing. The heat was debilitating. It took forever for the storm to ooze its way up the lake.


We would count. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi…… each second that passed meant the storm would take longer to arrive. We waited, counting. The air got thicker. A group of starlings rushed by. Calmed lake, a still surface. Silence.


Then a light drizzle. Wind. Cooler air. Breeze. kaBOOM. kaBOOM…… Torrential downpour. We scurried down the roof and into the kitchen when the lightning got too close. The horizontal rain pounded the window, we could hear limbs of trees cracking and thrashing against the lower part of the building. A window below shattered. My daughter shivered, then slid onto the floor and snuggled with our black lab.


The next day, venturing out of the fire escape, my Christmas cactus was gone. On the basement floor, we walked out the back of the building and there, in the storm remains, strewn about, were shattered terracotta chards and shredded plant pieces. Gently wading through the debris, we salvaged some cacti stems, brought them upstairs, and re potted them. Today, 25 years later, the Christmas cactus in my house is a granddaughter of that original plant.


Just like a storm, making its way north, is the Covid 19 pandemic. We sit back and watch, we make preparations, take precautions, we count our one Mississippi two Mississippis. Oh the air is thick! Then we go inside. We don’t know what flower pots might careen off the 5th floor fire escape, or what small seedlings will endure for 25 years beyond this impending storm. We do know we have each other, our friends, colleagues, our family, our dogs (and cats), and others whom we may not be able to hug, but know the hugs are there. Write letters, play games. Zoom. Laugh. Wash your hands. Assure, comfort, breathe, rest, and love we shall. Thank you for all you do and continue to do.

Pandemic & Education Related Information

Notes from Central Office 

Our building has been officially closed to the public by the Lyndon Select Board. We will continue working mostly offsite. Contact us by email or 2nd choice is to call and leave a message. We will be checking our email throughout the day and calling in to retrieve our messages. We will do our best to get in a timely manner. There will be times we will need to make a trip to the office in order to answer your questions and it might take a little longer than usual. We will let you know if that is the case.


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Administrative Assistants & Principals: Please make sure you follow the current schedule for A/P.  All deadlines still apply. 


Payroll:

Administrative Assistants & Principals: Please make sure you follow the current schedule for Payroll. All deadlines still apply.  Approvals will need to be completed on time for payroll to close.

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