Election Day: Talking with Children
This is part of an ongoing series of messages to Renton Prep families during a Global Pandemic for transparency and historic record.
Dear Renton Prep Families,
It's November 3rd, 2020. We know this day and the days ahead may bring a range of strong emotions for families.
In addition to ongoing public health monitoring for the pandemic, I have also been monitoring reports for safety in Seattle and surrounding areas and concerns for mental health and coping. The news has reported organizations started boarding up more than they already were. The photo below was from October 23, 2020, when we went on a field trip to The Center for Wooden Boats and took Seattle Metro.
The Supreme Court is allowing some locations to receive ballots up to 9 days after election day and we may not know an answer immediately.
Out of an abundance of caution, we have postponed our third round of Center for Wooden Boats field trip to next week as we assess both health and safety scenarios for outdoor experiences.
Our Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass field trip for 3rd - 10th grade students who signed up will now have chartered bus transportation for direct drop of and pick up.
Remote ready at any time
As with physical health and safety, we are ready to shift to remote learning if necessary. Please know that we want you to prioritize your family's mental and physical health and know that you may always make the decision that is best for your family if that means staying home.
Resources to talk with young people
We wanted to provide a few resources on mental health and how to speak with children about elections.
This first link is a 3 minute NPR listen with tips to talk with children about elections.
Common Sense Media has resources to talk with your students and navigate election media.
This link talks about election day tips for mental health.
We care about you and your family. If you have any special needs or concerns that we can help with, please feel free to reach out to us.
The memories you build now
Remember to tell your children why you are proud of them and something you love about them. Look back at some of the learning successes from this year. How you choose to build memories with your children now will be the things they remember the most when they look back at this historic time.