Every Day Counts

Every day counts. Every choice matters.

Every one of us knows that’s true.

Every life has purpose. Every purpose a plan,

and we've no choice but seeing it through.

Every week spent apart seems longer

than the weeks spent apart before.

Every morning brings a new fondness

for the hinge--not the lock--on the door.

But if we must live our days (cloistered away)

‘til the key in that lock is turned,

we will live knowing this: “EVERY DAY COUNTS” 
and that matters…

more than all other lessons learned.

© April 1, 2020, Tom Kapanka

On March 12, the governor of our state mandated that all schools, public and private, must shut their doors until April 6, and that all students must "Stay Home; Stay Safe." That same weekend all theaters and restaurants were closed. By the next Friday, the MDE declared that no matter how much instruction was given (from teachers to homes), the days would not "count." There was an explanation about how the mechanism were not in place to evaluate the merit of such "instruction," and therefore the days would not count toward credit or graduation requirements. Our school had the freedom not to comply, as I explained to our school family the following morning:

Then came the news that the governor was going exend the mandatory closure until April 30, 2020. It had no bearing on our school's plan to "occupy" till we return [meaning: to redeem the time with meaningful instruction until school could resume as normal]. The MDE had not yet retract it "nothing will count" edict from the week before. Rumors began spreading on FB and in the media that, as the old song goes, "Schools out for summer!" and that credits and "promotions" or graduation would be based on student grades as of the March 13, closure. Even our students began speculating about whether or not to continue doing school work at home. This prompted another video address:

All this to say, that I woke up with the premise of this little poem in my head this morning.