Celebrating teachers at Newfield school district

Each February, Ithaca honors educators with an annual celebration that coincides with winter break on most school calendars. The upcoming event will offer special discounts on restaurant meals and spa visits, lecture series and concerts during the weeks of Feb. 11 through 28. But Ithaca isn’t alone in loving its teachers! What can parents and the Newfield community do to let our school faculty and staff know how much we appreciate them?

This year, it is more important than ever to give those who work in schools some much-deserved love. Two years into the pandemic, the guidelines and expectations continue to change on an almost daily basis. Increased absences due to quarantine and a shortage of substitutes mean that staff members are stretched thin to fill the gaps. Anxieties about keeping themselves and their students safe take a toll on morale as the pandemic goes on, seemingly without end.

Newfield Central School District Superintendent Eric Hartz said that multiple stressors from different angles affect the school environment — not only staff but students and parents too.

“There is the actual physical piece of COVID, which causes stress on a daily basis,” Hartz said. “I get the emails every morning from faculty members who are running a fever or have a runny nose. These are people who are working extra hard not to get sick, but omicron is so contagious. Now, they have to be out for at least five days, and that causes a disruption in their family life and their work life.”

Hartz went on to relate that the stress then falls on the secretaries and administrators who scramble to cover those positions when people are out or the co-workers who take on extra duties to pick up the slack.

District Clerk Lori Owens confirmed that staffing has been “a little bit crazy.”

“I think everybody is doing two, sometimes three times the work they would normally do,” Owens said. “There are the extra duties like COVID tracking and contact tracing. Substitutes are hard to come by, but we’ve also had trouble filling full-time positions. We have a kindergarten position that has been advertised since September. There aren’t a lot of applications coming in. Food service, cleaning, drivers — we’ve been short-staffed since school started.”

In the bus garage, Transportation Supervisor Chuck Brockner said that the lack of drivers was a big factor in going to a double-tripping schedule.

“We are running on a knife-edge as far as staffing,” Brockner said. “I am driving a regular route every day, which I never used to do. It’s hard because we have kids get on buses every day who don’t have masks. We keep a box of masks on the bus and hand them out when they [get] on. Everyone is respectful of each other, whether they agree or not. We are making sure kids are safe because we care.”

In addition to students’ health and safety, teachers also care about their academic success.

“When kids are out for a week or 10 days, teachers worry how to meet their needs academically,” Hartz said. “We know kids are already falling behind from last year. Educators take it personally when their students aren’t being successful, even if it’s due to factors beyond their control.”

All of this is compounded by the social stresses shared by society at large.

“On the personal side, people are being really careful, not going out to restaurants or seeing extended family,” Hartz said. “When you put all that together in the school, or any workplace, it makes it hard to keep up morale. Some people are saying that the toll on their physical health, their mental health, is just not worth it.”

Newfield employees who are feeling the stress can get help through the district’s Employee Assistance Program, which offers free and confidential counseling at Family and Children’s Services of Ithaca. There is also a district wellness program, coordinated by Michelle Menter, which has provided free chair massages and some virtual programming for staff. But mostly, employees get support from each other and the school community.

“This is a great group of people, and everyone is helping each other when need be,” Owens said. “It’s very challenging, but we’re equal to the task.”

In the high school, Hartz said, the faculty gathers for breakfast once a month to socialize before the school day begins. Retired teacher Tammy Wilcox comes in periodically to lead yoga sessions for employees after school. Some find the best inspiration comes from the students themselves.

“We all know that these past two years have been a struggle for everyone,” teacher Joli Zifchock said. “Something that has built me up, as a teacher at Newfield Elementary, is watching the students persevere and keep positive attitudes. Some of these kids won’t remember a time when COVID-19 didn’t exist. That concept is difficult for us, as adults, to grasp.”

Zifchock continued.

“What is obvious is the resilience and determination of the children of this generation,” Zifchock said. “They continue to smile, laugh, learn and love in the face of adversity. They shouldn’t have to, but each generation of children has one or more trials to overcome, and I am so proud of these kids. They inspire me every day.”

So, how can we, as parents and community members, show our teachers some love?

In the longer term, this question might not be as simple as it appears. Can we turn this crisis into a catalyst for change? Can we question our assumptions about what “normal” school looks like and have a conversation about what would work best for our students, families and communities? Can we find ways to put the joy and wonder back into the educational process, for students and teachers?

In the short term, the best way to show your support is the direct approach. Ask your child’s teacher how they are doing and really listen to their response. Let them know that you see and appreciate their efforts. Send in a thank-you note or maybe a Valentine (it is February, after all) to the school secretary or the food service worker.

No one is saying that schools are perfect or that school staff are the only ones facing these challenges. But they are essential, front-line workers who show up every day for our kids. Let’s take this opportunity to show them that Newfield loves teachers too!

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.