Guest Op-Ed: Revere Proud!

By Carol Tye

The opening of school is always a challenge, but the pandemic has made everything so much harder than it used to be.  Like the rest of the world, we had supply problems and transportation problems and situations that nobody had ever experienced before. Yet we were able to adjust to reality pretty quickly and welcome our children to the wonderful world of learning. We are grateful to so many people who made that happen.

Thanks to the Chair of the School Committee, Mayor Brian Arrigo, and his office for understanding the needs of the school department, and always stepping up to  take care of all the children.

Thanks to the police and fire departments for assuring everyone’s safety.

Thanksto Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly, for her seemingly endless energy and her leadership, and for making every decision by evaluating “what’s best for kids.”                                                                                         

Thanks to the three Assistant Superintendents – Dr. Danielle Mokaba, Dr. Richard Gallucci, Dr. Laurenco Garcia, who monitor our children’s physical, academic, and social-emotional health in an atmosphere of love and support.

Thanks to Carl Svendsen, the maintenance workers, and the school custodians who have gone above and beyond in assuring that every classroom and every school is a healthful place for kids.  

Thanks to Denise Sena and David Patch who addressed the statewide problem of                  transportation to get our kids to school on time.

Thanks to Cheryl Cole and the cafeteria workers, who have fed our kids and their families throughout the pandemic, and who now continue that loving care and service in person.

Thanks to our principals and their staffs for being on the front lines, understanding and                        addressing the needs of their teachers and students, and sacrificing their own vacation time.

Thanks to our nurses, truly angels of mercy, who with unrelenting energy and expertise, treat every child’s ailment – physical or emotional – with kindness and care.

Thanks to the parent liaisons, for helping us communicate with the entire school community.

Thanks to our parents and caregivers, who have been their children’s first teachers, who have been called upon to extend that role long after they should have to, who had to struggle to balance their own work lives to feed and support their families.

Thanks lastly to the frontline heroes, our teachers, who during the school closure met the challenges of distance and communication, and still managed to love their jobs and their kids and be effective. Their students will never forget them. May they now enjoy their daily                         interactions and the fruit of their labors.                                                                                                     

Thanks finally to my colleagues on the School Committee, who in our world sometimes             conflicted with differences, work unrelentingly to “do the right thing” for our entire school community.

Carol Tye is a Revere School Committee member as well as a candidate for re-election in the upcoming Nov. 2 election.