A LESSON IN RESILIENCE: SPRING 2020 AT NORTH COUNTRY SCHOOL

By Shaun Kittle

EVERYTHING WAS MOVING ALONG at North Country School in early spring. There was still a month of good skiing left, a gentle plume of smoke reminded us that sap was being boiled in the sugar shack, and talk of planting in the greenhouses had begun. Intersession was over, and students were enjoying spring break adventures and preparing for the upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass in WallyPAC. Some of our students no doubt had their minds set on graduation, while others were focused on new discoveries in math, science, and English classes.

And then everything changed. When news of the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the globe, we knew it was only a matter of time before it hit home. When it finally did, we were prepared to do what was necessary to keep our students, faculty, and staff healthy and safe, even if it meant saying good bye for some time. Many international parents had showed concern about their children traveling prior to spring break, so we offered to let those students continue living on campus—21 stayed behind while the rest headed home, and it was during the break that we made the decision to close campus for the remainder