December 7, 2020
Initially in awe, Jen Lang, owner of Bear Hugs Preschool, remembered the overwhelming rush of uncertainty she felt when the pandemic reared its ugly head in March.
With new recommendations for health and safety in addition to state regulations, closing the doors of the preschool to families and children was the safest choice for Jen to make.
Everything transitioned from in person to virtual. Jen and her team prepared packets for families for the anticipated two week closure. As information became available encouraging continued closure, the team worked together to make up 3 more weeks of packets for families.
“We worked to come up with a plan that would still provide work and activities for our families. We sent home packets that coordinated with Zoom group time for the remainder of the school year. We tried to continue learning in the new format and we came up with ideas to give parents a little break, like zoom story hours after school at night,” said Jen. “At the start of the school year, we welcomed back smaller groups for in person learning. We require temperature checks before coming into school and we don’t allow outside visitors. Our families have been incredibly supportive and the children are handling the changes really well, sometimes better than adults,” Jen joked.
Recognizing that everyone has learned a lot about safety throughout the pandemic, Jen hopes people continue to diligently follow guidelines so we return to “normal” sooner than later.
Thank you, Bear Hugs, for being the #HeartAndSoulOfTheCommunity. For more Heart and Soul stories, visit sbsavings.bank/hear-and-soul
