South Washington County Schools (SWCS) is kissing the 2020-2021 school year goodbye and pursuing summer vacation! For most local teachers and students, it would be complicated to briefly reflect on the last nine months. To expect one to summarize a time period consisting of illness, Google Meets, sudden schedule tweaks, and fast-paced courses, is impractical. Even so, The Journal contacted three principals in the area, requesting that they review the past school year. The administrators from Grey Cloud Elementary, Cottage Grove Middle, and Park High School explored topics such as learning models, flexibility, mighty memories, and personal growth. Finally, they speculated about the future of education beyond COVID-19. The three principals’ perspectives implied that the light at the end of the tunnel is brightening.

In the last nine months, SWCS has executed three different learning models. Laura Loshek recapped, “If I had to speak about this year, I would say that it was like three school years up until the point we came in in-person. There was a hybrid school year, there’s the distance learning school year, See REFLECT Page 8