“A pandemic?” “Are we all going to die?” “What is going to happen to my grandmother and grandfather?” “Is it true that this can kill us?” “How do we keep ourselves safe, and will we survive it?” What in the world is a pandemic to an elementary child? These were all questions that students were asking.
Their questions echoed the fears of the students and the fears of many teachers and parents who had no answers to give. Nonetheless, the Bethel school curriculum was immediately changed to seek out and provide answers to the many troubling questions and to settle the hearts and minds of little ones, whose only concern before now was “Do I get to play with my friends today?”
Aside from adding a new vocabulary word to the list of words for the period under study, teachers gave students the dictionary meaning for “pandemic,” which became a teachable moment, one that would last much longer than a moment.
The 2020-2021 school year began with the knowledge that the academic landscape had changed. These were not times they had seen before, nor were they times that could be compared to any in their short lifetime. For many, the change was so drastic they immediately recognized that things would never be the same again.
Fortunately for the Christian, all things work together for good to them that love the Lord. While they are not suggesting that God brings bad things to others, they rest assured that when they put their lives in His hands, no matter what happens, there will be a bright side for the Christian whose eyes are on the Savior. So, the question is, “How did this work for the good of anyone?” Well, at the Bethel school, a K-8 grade school located in Brooklyn, New York, some good things did happen.
When the school year began, the administration and staff got busy making all the necessary preparations for students to return. At the end of the previous year, parents indicated that many of them needed the school to open for in-person learning because they could not leave their children at home, neither could they afford to pay for someone to stay at home with them.
With the challenge ahead of preparing for online learning, which would be difficult for young children, the school had to figure out the best way to educate its students. It also had the ominous task of getting the building ready to receive the students when September 4, 2020, arrived.
The building was sanitized and cleaned, following CDC, local, state, and Northeastern Conference guidelines. Each class was made ready with hand-sanitizing stations, portable hand-washing basins, extra supplies of face masks, markings on the floor for distancing, Clorox wipes, regular cleaning during the day, and deep cleaning at the end of each day.
For those who work with small children, you know what happens when one child gets a cold—the entire building is sick. However, during this pandemic, they witnessed something they had never seen before. Not one single child in the school became ill because of COVID-19. No one had a cold, or flu, or sniffle of any kind. The administrators and staff did not take this blessing lightly. They saw that when they obey God, He protects them and, even when He chooses not to act in the way they think He should, He works out all things for their good.
Everyone had to wear masks. Mask wearing helped to prevent the spread of the virus in the building. They cleaned their hands with soap and water and sanitized them often. They wore gloves where appropriate. This helped decrease the spread of the virus, especially preventing them from putting their hands on their faces. Each class was set up to give the students the space required to practice physical distancing.
All classes became their own bubble, allowing no one in who was not a part of the class. The school also denied open access to their building. By controlling the environment and practicing the principles that God gave to them, they have been able to keep their children safe thus far.
James 4:8 says, “Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (KJV). 1 Thessalonians 4:7 says, “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness” (KJV). Ephesians 5:26 says, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (KJV). These texts remind them of how important cleansing themselves is. In doing this, they allow God to clean their souls so that they prepare for Him. These texts suggest a spiritual connotation as well as a physical need to be clean.
According to Ellen G. White in The Adventist Home, p. 22, “A neglect of cleanliness will induce disease. Sickness does not come without a cause.” She also says, “Perfect cleanliness, plenty of sunlight, careful attention to sanitation in every detail of the home life, are essential to freedom from disease and to the cheerfulness and vigor of the inmates of the home”—Counsels for the Church, p 219. While this passage relates to the home, it has implications for the classrooms and meeting places.
As Bethel school practiced the principles laid out in God’s Word, as they were reminded by the scientific community of the need to put these measures in place, they could see God’s hand in keeping the children and their school community safe. They were reminded that all things work together for good unto those who love the Lord and conduct themselves according to His way (Romans 8:28).
—Celestine Creighton, principal, Bethel school
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