This post will be a bit different from my usual posts. We received some big news from the superintendent of our school district today. They will be closing the schools in our district, along with 13 other districts along the Front Range, for the rest of the school year. We will be doing online learning from home for the remaining 7 weeks. The Coronavirus has changed all of our lives in ways we never expected, and we are all doing our best to flow with the rapid changes it is forcing on us. Be strong for each other and remember to be patient and kind with each other. Everyone is feeling stressed out, but we will get through this. Keep trusting in God, keep praying, and keep believing! God is in control and nothing is impossible for God!
Here is part of the email we received from our superintendent:
“I want to share with you that I, along with 13 other school district superintendents across the Front Range, have collectively made the difficult decision to keep our schools closed to in-person learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
A significant consideration in making this decision today is that many models currently show that the impact of COVID-19 is likely to peak in the last week of April. Even once COVID-19 reaches its peak in Colorado, we know that there will be an equivalent amount of time after the peak in which the virus continues to pose a significant threat. The continued safety and public health risk this presents for our students, staff, and families moves us to take the step of extended closure to in-person learning through the balance of the school year.
I participated on a call this morning with Governor Jared Polis, Colorado Commissioner of Education Katy Anthes, and many area school district superintendents. During that call, Governor Polis acknowledged that having students continue with remote learning for the remainder of the school year eliminates yet another transition for our students.
Please know this was not an easy decision and we recognize the impact this has on our families. However, I feel this is the best step for us to take as a school district and a community.
This is an unprecedented situation we find ourselves in and I encourage you and your loved ones to continue following the advice and guidance of healthcare professionals. As I mentioned above, COVID-19 is expected to peak in our area during the last week of April. Please remember to avoid playgrounds, athletic fields, ballparks, tracks, etc. located on DCSD property, and follow the Stay-At-Home executive order issued by Governor Polis.
Most importantly, please remember to take care of one another during this time. We are in this together and we appreciate the strength of our DCSD family.
Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Douglas County School District”
We are living through some amazing times. This has never happened in my country in my lifetime of 41 years. I am praying for all the families in our community, throughout our country, and the world. This virus is shaking the world and we have all been impacted greatly.
We truly are in this together! The virus doesn’t care what color you are. The virus doesn’t care what culture or country you come from. We are all humans who were created by God in God’s image and we are in this fight together!
I agree with the superintendent that we must take care of each other. Love each other and give each other time to adjust. Time is a beautiful and precious gift that we can never get back. May we all make the most of this time we have been given with each other. Time to reconnect and slow down in this crazy fast paced world that has been in overdrive for far too long. A time to reflect, learn, and grow.
It’s nice to have my wife and kids home. I usually spend most of my day alone. Now I get to have lunch with my family and I get to see them and hug them all day. That is one big positive out of all of this and for that I am very thankful!
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I am praying for all of those who are suffering the virus and for all the families who have already lost loved ones. I pray people turn to Jesus during this time. This is a time of great testing on the earth. God loves us and does not want us to perish. May the Lord draw people to Himself through this time of trial and may He bring healing and peace to us all!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus speaking in John 3:16
Please don’t ever feel like you are alone! If you need to talk or need prayer or just want to say hello, you are always welcome to drop me a line here on my blog or by email. Nobody should ever feel alone, especially during this quarantine, so please know I am here for you as an ambassador for Jesus, and I really do care!
Also, for those of you with kids in school, the charter school my wife teaches at and our kids attend is a technology based learning school, so we have been set up for online learning for a long time. We use Google Classroom and Zoom and the last couple weeks of learning from home has been great. My wife has also been teaching English to students in China online for the last 2 years, and she is teaching her piano students online now too. Needless to say, my wife knows what she is doing when it comes to teaching and technology. If you have any questions about online learning from home, please let me know and I will ask my wife!
Remember, you are not alone! God loves you, God is in control, and we are in this together!
Grace and peace to you all!
Ryan Callahan's Blog 
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