It is hard to believe that we are only 6 weeks from the end of the school year. (But, who’s counting? :-)) I think back to the beginning of the school year. I know I was feeling so unsure and insecure at what the year would bring. I was scared, to be quite honest. I know many of you were too. There were so many unanswered questions. These unanswered questions just fuel my anxiety. But, I knew what I had to do. I had to just start. Take it one day at a time. Most importantly, I had to trust that God was leading me to be here for the kids, the parents, and for the teachers.

When I think about all of the changes that were made before school started all I can think of is how amazing everyone is.

• Our kids are rock stars. They took all of the changes in stride and seemed unaffected.

• Our outstanding teachers worked tirelessly to make school the best place they could in such a difficult time. They basically learned how to teach our students in many different ways on the fly. Education programs could never have prepared us for this.

• You, our parents, rolled with the punches as we changed routines and expectations.

Everyone was knocked down but we all got up and found a way to make school as “normal” as possible for one another. The resiliency of everyone still leaves me speechless.

It would be easy to be bogged down with the negative experiences that the pandemic has given us. I am sure we could all make a list. I have decided to look at it in a different way, a positive way. What have we gained this year? One thing I see is empathy and support for one another. It seems that more people are willing to offer help to one another and go out of their way to do so. I see kids making new friends. I see them reaching out to fellow students who they may not have talked to in the past and building relationships with them. I see the creativity others have and the desire to help make things easier for people. These blessings from God are everywhere. We just have to look for them. What do you see?

I just want to Thank you for everything you have done to help this year be a positive one.

Stacie Short

The following academic programs are being offered this summer:

• Summer Academic Camp at Meredith Dunn School

  • http://meredithdunnschool.org/summer-academic-program/

• Educational Resources: Summer Options

  • https://www.ertutor.com/summer-options/

Sacred Heart is excited to welcome campers in-person to our beautiful campus again this summer where they will learn, grow, make new friends, and HAVE FUN! Sacred Heart offers numerous camps in both all-girls and coed formats for students from age 3 through 11th grade. SHA is the #1 ranked athletic program in the State – your camper will learn and improve their skills in camps led by our award-winning coaches and student-athletes. Budding stars can shine through coed camps in drama, dance, and visual arts, with numerous performance opportunities such as the Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley, Disney’s Descendants the Musical, and The Nutcracker. Enrichment camps include Girls Middle School Coding, Chinese Classical Poetry, Camp College, and more. Wherever your student’s interests lie, they will find their place at Sacred Heart camps this summer. For information about camps, dates, and pricing, and to register, visit www.shslou.org/summer-camps/ Register now, space is limited!

Assumption High School is excited to welcome back campers to campus this summer! Rocket campers will have the opportunity to experience over 45 different enrichment and athletic camps, with 10 brand new options, including Aviation, Camp Invention, Summer Olympic Fun, and Test Kitchen! Full descriptions of each camp, as well as dates, times, and prices can all be found here. As you are browsing the different camps, you will notice that each camp has three essential skills that campers will learn during their time on campus. Camps are open to boys and girls in grades K-11. Space is limited. Please email lauren.lega@ahsrockets.org or call 502-271-2675 for questions.

What are you doing this summer? We would love for you to join us for some of our incredible summer camps. We offer a wide variety. From our On the Stage theatre camp, or Discovering STEM to our Field Hockey and Volleyball camps -- there really is something for everyone! Space is limited so SIGN UP NOW. Visit our website at mercyacademy.com/summercamps to see our camp listings and to register online. For more information email alaemmle@mercyjaguars.com

You can find multiple ways to Rock the Summer at Trinity High School. We offer a variety of camps for students in the third through ninth grades in both athletics and academics during the months of June and July. Visit our website at trinityrocks.com and follow the Rock the Summer link on the main page to learn more about all our camp offerings. You can also call 893-ROCK or contact the camp director to learn more. We hope to see you on campus this summer. Go Rocks!