A Light Exists in Spring

03-28-2021Nurse's LetterShannon David, RN, NCSN

In her poem, A Light exists in Spring, Emily Dickinson speaks of the season of rebirth and light with such eloquence that the reader can virtually see the darkness being overtaken.

This past week, several announcements provided some light and hope for a “return to normal”. The first was the announcement on Monday, that vaccines will now be available to anyone aged 16 and up. Information regarding vaccines is available here: Eligibility-and-Prioritization.

The second was the announcement on Thursday, that the Governor, by Executive Order, was lifting all COVID restrictions. Upon hearing this second announcement, many assumed it would mean the end to the mitigation strategies we have implemented at OLMC. However, that is not the case. Upon deeper reading, Governor Ducey’s Executive Order 2021-06: New Phase of COVID-19 Mitigation/Business Guidelines Transition From Requirements to Recommendations is geared toward getting all businesses fully open and operational. There are no provisions within this Executive Order that rescind Executive Order 2021-04, the “Return to School” Order, which states, among other things, that schools must “strictly implement mitigation strategies” to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Further, in Executive Order 2021-06, much of the rationale provided for the lifting of restrictions at this time relates to the very successful strategies of distribution and administration of vaccines. At OLMC, we are very blessed to have the great majority of adults who are on campus fully immunized. This is not true for students. Additionally, the surrounding community is in the “moderate” category for community spread. 

In May 2020, when planning for the 2020-21 school year began, the established goal was to re-open our school and keep it open through the entire school year. Our “Smart, Healthy & Holy” Plan was devised specifically for OUR school community. The very reasonable, workable actions we have implemented have been successful both in preventing the spread of infection and allowing us all to be on-campus. The activities and events planned in the upcoming weeks would not have been possible without the perseverance and hard work of everyone in this community to this point in time. Thus, we are going to continue along that path for now.

At first glance, Emily Dickinson’s A Light exists in Spring, seems to be a beautiful poem about nature. Upon deeper reading one comes to understand its religious significance. The Light that exists in spring is indeed a different Light. A Light “that science cannot overtake, But Human Nature feels.” As we await the Light, let us continue to pray for an end to the darkness of the Pandemic!

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