TEACHABLE MOMENT: Confusing “photo op” at Barnstable High… [HN NOTES]

[HN NOTES & MULLINGS ON THE MATTER] – I’m sorry, but photos like the one above seriously confuse me…

Mixed mask message? Mask up in school? or not? Which one is it?

Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito (and other local government officials) visited Barnstable High School last week and the kids couldn’t have looked more thrilled. But was this the students’ first real lesson on how government really works? If so, great job by all!

I have a Masters Degree in Education and learned long ago that mixed messages of this type can detract from a school system’s overall mission. For example, according to their website, the mission of the Barnstable Public Schools is as follows:

“The Barnstable Public Schools educates the whole child by creating a student centered school culture that addresses students’ physical, social, emotional, and academic needs by creating a safe and healthy learning environment in which students are challenged, supported, and engaged.”

Are photos like the one posted here a missed opportunity to bolster that mission? A chance to lead by doing?

It’s also important to note that, for me, this is not a question about whether we should be masking or not. It’s not a question about Democrats vs. Republicans. Friends or enemies (as I happen to personally know and love a couple of those pictured here). It’s a question about mixed messages and the lessons we teach our children.

And here’s my final question (I promise): What type of adults will the children of the COVID pandemic grow up to be?

Food for thought…

… as I urge all fellow Hytonians, seen or unseen, from Hyannis or beyond, to please have a very safe and splendiferous Tuesday! And remember this, no matter how hard we try to rule, divide, conquer or control one another, it won’t change the fact we all evolved out of the same stardust.

This is all in my humble opinion, of course…

Take a closer look:

(Photo courtesy of Karyn Polito’s recent tweet on Twitter/HN edits)

Great to visit Barnstable High School this afternoon to see its impressive Innovation Pathways programming in action, where students are getting hands-on experience in high demand industry sectors like business and finance. pic.twitter.com/ZOkA4Oi3GD

— Karyn Polito (@MassLtGov) October 7, 2021