As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to progress, announcing that there will be no school in session at the Albany Community School doesn’t come as a surprise to many. For the first time this school year, the Albany Community School has closed on various days of the week because they are short on main staff and substitute teachers. After former principal Kelly MacMartin resigned in mid November of 2021, this charming school seems to have hit some rocky terrain.

Just a few weeks ago, students and their families of the middle school at Albany Community were informed that school would be closed due to staff shortage. This week, all students learned that school would not be in session for Thursday, January 27th and Friday, January 28th for the same reason. Students are confused as to why exactly their school is short on staff, but most attribute it to being because some of their teachers are out on COVID quarantine; or at least that’s what their teachers are telling them.

After former principal Kelly MacMartin resigned, the role of interim principal was assumed by Jessica Thomas. MacMartin had expressed that her position at the school as principal wasn’t a “good fit” for her, stating that she was hopeful to spend more time with her family instead. As we continue to see a lack of presence in staff at the small school, students and parents alike can’t help but wonder if this is also the case for many of the other teachers there.

With the COVID-19 pandemic making both teaching and learning more difficult by the day, teachers have struggled to find ways to efficiently teach their classes and keep students engaged at the same time. In this small school of Vermont and across the globe, students don’t have as many opportunities during the school year as they did before the pandemic struck. Teachers now have to work around the clock to generate ideas that will allow their students to learn comfortably and to the best of their abilities while balancing their own lives amidst the chaos. 

Children grow bored as parents continue to navigate how best they can assist their children’s academic needs at home. Many wonder how this will affect their children in the long run: How many more times will school be out of session due to staff shortages? Will my child fall behind in their schoolwork? How will this affect their academic lives? How will this affect their social lives?

In this example of a small school in Vermont, students, their families and teachers alike continue to be weighed down by the complications of the pandemic and the endless questions that it provokes.