Curtis and Shawna Hill

Wilmington Christian School
Hockessin, Delaware
Curtis and Shawna Hill, Parents of Students

“Back-to-school” in 2020 was unlike any we had experienced before. We knew it would be. After a spring semester that abruptly had to move online, our whole family was ready to get back to school in person. Throughout the summer, Wilmington Christian had worked so hard to make sure we understood the plan they had in place to make sure our kids were in the safest possible environment for their education. The school was committed to getting students back, and doing it the right way.

Due to Covid-19, the new precautions and protocols are significant, but reasonable. Remembering masks and hand sanitizer are now a normal part of the morning routine. Yet, kids have way of adapting and adjusting pretty easily. The minor inconveniences that we experience pale in comparison to the gratitude we feel in knowing our kids are at school, in an environment where they are learning, while being kept safe.

As parents, we always knew that education is about so much more than “content delivery.” But, the first day our kids came home after “going to school” for the first time in months, was a day we won’t soon forget. Each of our kids was so happy. Their countenance was different, and they couldn’t quit talking! It was almost like a piece of them had come back to life again as they had interacted with teachers and students throughout the day. As they walked the halls of school for a full day of class, they benefited from the complete education experience – things like the informal conversations with teachers before and after class. Those small things provide so much affirmation and connection that can’t exactly be replicated online.

Really, we have always believed that teachers and school administrators (especially the ones at Wilmington Christian) are made for settings like this. They are ready to do the hard work to serve the next generation. They are ready to lead. They see their role clearly as a calling to work through complex aspects of teaching and learning, and rise to the challenge of formulating plans that will help every student learn. Every day our kids are blessed as teachers and administrators are leaning in, making decisions in the best interest of each student and each family. We are so grateful, and our kids are as well.