Staff Sunday: Beacon Program
May 24, 2020
WHEN WE DO GO BACK
It’s rare to hear kids say they miss school, but for many students in the Beacon program, it took a global pandemic to transform this rarely heard confession into a deeply felt consensus. Often admitted to our Beacon’s staff, these kids have expressed they really miss school and in general, they wish things would go back to “normal.” However, Rebekah Foster, TEL HI’s STEAM team coordinator, isn’t wishing things would go back to normal just yet as she sees this time as an opportunity to rethink what we want “normal” to be “when we do go back.”
Beacon staff enjoying staff lunch after staffing Thursday food bank
For example, it served as an opportunity for one of Beacon’s staff, Christian Martinez, to see the true underlying socioeconomic adversities these families faced as he’s often on the phone with them to check-in and provide resources. It’s also allowed Rebekah to witness countless moments of generosity and people being plain out good neighbors to one another – both on and off the job. Really, the pandemic has given the Beacon staff a chance to experience and reflect on what areas of improvement and strengths we want to fix and fortify.
So, thank you Beacon staff for sharing your pieces of wisdom. We are with you during this time of reflection and growth and praise your commitment to our students and their families. Thank you for being #TELHISTRONG.
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