WCS in the Era of COVID-19

By WCS Headmaster Dr. Roger Erdvig

​Practically overnight, everything changed.

On Thursday, March 12, the WCS leadership team made the hard decision to postpone our Spring Gala (scheduled for the next evening) due to Governor Carney's declaration of a State of Emergency, which included guidance to avoid crowds of 100 or more people. 

Within 24 hours, we made the announcement to parents that due to COVID-19, we would need to pivot to all distance-based teaching and learning. A lot can happen in 24 hours!
 
Teachers jumped on an aggressive learning curve to transition to video-based instruction, with only two weeks to do so. Students were suddenly home with all their school supplies and their families, and away from the their friends. WCS leadership meetings moved to video, and sports seasons came to a screeching halt.

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School is still very much in session for our K-12 students, even though the school building is closed. Teachers are faithfully providing authentic learning experiences for our students, and this unexpected pivot is teaching us how we can extend our reach, be more nimble, and deliver learning in different ways. These are all things we have known we need to do in order to flourish in the future. I guess we just weren't expecting the future to come so fast.

At the same time, we grieve with those who grieve. Many families have been profoundly impacted by COVID-19. From loss of income to loss of loved ones, people are suffering deeply. We are not unaware of this suffering, and we are compelled to love another better and intercede more fervently.

Thankfully, this is just a season. It's a hard one, but it is temporary. 

We can look at the transient nature of COVID-19 in a few ways.

1. This iteration of the coronavirus will run its course and eventually peter out. Economies will recover or retool, WCS and churches will get back to normal, and families will regain their footing. It will be hard, and for some, it will be REALLY hard. But it will pass.
   
   
2. The pandemic reminds us of a bigger truth, though. All of this life is transient, meaning that one day all of creation will witness the unspeakable freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). This present creational groaning will pass away when the Lord fully redeems His children and we are ushered in fullness into His eternal Kingdom.

Truth #1 can give hope (mixed with realism) for today or for the next school year. However, Truth #2 is hope for our entire lives. 

As we walk through Holy Week apart yet together, we will all do well to remember that the Lord "will be the stability of our times" (Isaiah 33:6), both for now and for eternity. Christ's resurrection offers access to the ultimate in stability: His Spirit living in us to guide and direct us along life's journey. I can't imagine not being a Christ-follower in these uncertain and unsettling times!

I was encouraged to read one WCS middle school student's assessment of our current situation--an assessment that shows evidence that this student knows both Truth #1 and Truth #2. 

"I think this will be a good experience for all of us,
and might even make some of us more mature and independent.
But, we can't forget that God will help us through this process."

That's some sound advice from a young Godly influencer!