Superintendent praises teachers' dedication, students' resilience

May 22—In many ways, the 2020-21 school year — along with the last few months of the previous term — proved to be an endurance test for America's school systems as they struggled to balance pandemic health and safety concerns with academic progress.

It's a test that Superintendent of Schools Jeff Bryant believes Greenbrier County passed with flying colors.

"As I reminisce over the past 15, 16 months about everyone — our students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents and other community members — I think it's almost miraculous what everyone has achieved," Bryant told The Register-Herald.

After first acknowledging the tragic toll in human lives exacted by what he termed "this terrible virus," Bryant expressed amazement at the depth of support offered by the community toward the county's school system from the outset of the pandemic.

"The entire community quickly came together and embraced the children," he said. "That's such a tribute to the people who live here."

He said he remembered when students had to be sent home for the first time due to the pandemic. Teachers and aides hurriedly assembled academic packets for departing students, while others in the school system and beyond saw to it that food was delivered to the homebound students the very next week.

"We figured out a way to deliver lessons online and, for those without computers, our bus drivers delivered academic packets, along with food, to children's homes," Bryant said.

Once the state returned to five-day-a-week classroom instruction, teachers were still going the extra mile, the superintendent said. They taught students in classrooms and, when those students were dismissed for the day, remained in the schools to teach remote learners in online classes.

"There were a lot of negatives in our situation," Bryant said. "But there was one positive: everyone refocused on the importance of teachers in students' lives. Parents who did their very best sitting next to their children and guiding them through the day's lessons at home realized the importance of teachers and are thankful for what teachers mean in their children's lives."

When asked about the impact of the irregular schedules and extended stretches of virus-prompted school closures on graduation rates, Bryant said he had earlier had some apprehension. But, he added, that worry turned out to be largely unfounded.

"There was no significant drop in graduation rates," he said, crediting teachers once again for seeing to it that students whose grades had dropped while learning from home were brought back up to speed.

"Getting students back in school was the key," Bryant said. "Once there, our teachers found a way to put them in a position to earn a diploma — not just be given a diploma, but to earn it."

Students, especially seniors, also had to put the pedal to the metal to salvage success from their disrupted final two years of secondary school.

"Their success goes to show how resilient young people are," Bryant said.

----While still carrying remnants of pandemic restrictions, this year's graduation ceremonies for Greenbrier County's two public high schools will signal a return to normalcy.

In contrast to last year's "drive-in" ceremonies that were conducted in the State Fair of West Virginia's free parking lot, the 2021 graduation ceremonies for Greenbrier East and Greenbrier West high schools will return to the traditional location in the fair's grandstand.

While grads will walk across a stage to collect their diplomas, it will be a portable covered stage erected for the occasion, a change necessitated by the state fair's ongoing replacement of the old stage.

Following state guidelines, seating in the grandstand for friends and families of the grads will be limited to 50 percent of capacity — around 2,000 people, Bryant said. The initial estimate is that each East graduate will be allocated eight spectator tickets; the count may be slightly different for West grads, as the class size is smaller. Only ticket-holders will be admitted to the grandstand.

"Masks are required," Bryant noted. "Ideally, families will sit together in pods, helping to ensure social distancing is observed."

If the weather is rainy, graduates will be seated in the grandstand as well, rather than on the track in front of the stage. Either way, they will march across the stage to receive their diplomas.

Following a tradition established several years ago, there will be no guest speakers at either graduation ceremony. Honored graduates will speak instead.

"As do many schools, we have a tradition of student-centered graduation ceremonies," Bryant said. "Graduation is all about the students."

----Graduation ceremonies for Greenbrier East High School's class of 2021 will commence at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 28.

Graduation ceremonies for Greenbrier West High School's class of 2021 will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 29.

— Email: talvey@register-herald.com