Quaranzine: Issue 7

Quaranzine: A collection of creative works from our community

Quaranzine: Issue 7

May 27, 2020
Quaranzine is a collection of creative works from the community that documents how we responded to this strange time we find ourselves in.

Previous Issues

Issue 1
Issue 2

Issue 3
Issue 4

Issue 5
Issue 6

Click on the image to see it full size.

A collage of photos of children, bikes, an older man speaking to a child — Bernard Matus, “The Story Teller” – This collage deals with images portraying the culture of great story tellers in Ireland.

a girl in a graduation cap and gown with a black and white dog — Pat Clark, Leonardtown, “My Only Classmate” – My daughters “surprise” at home college graduation with the one she referred to as her only classmate for the last several months.

The Rabbit Hole Called 2020 By Jessica Tomcsik, 4th Grade Teacher Wednesday, May 6, 2020: My day started with cute text message memes from my co-workers, kind words uttered by my Principal, and cookies hand-delivered to me by the amazing office staff at my school, all in honor of Teachers’ Appreciation Week. My day continued with tracking student progress for two of my class’ online learning platforms and giving them positive feedback in their Math program. I shared some fun activities for my students to try at home on Class Dojo, our classroom communication tool with families. In the afternoon, our state Superintendent announced, via live press conference, the jarring words that I knew were coming but I could not bear to hear: all public schools would be closed for the remainder of the 2020 school year. My eyes immediately filled with tears as I listened to the rest of her plans, her words swirling around me. I felt like Alice going down the rabbit hole, spinning turbulently, my mind racing. This was not supposed to happen. Our last day of school this year ended up being Friday, March 13. We all thought we’d be back to school and that this would all just be temporary. Two weeks off stretched into three, and then spring break was followed by another four weeks off. During this time, we implemented on-line learning, which was no easy task. It has been thirty-two school days since I have seen my students. MY students. They were robbed from me. A virus that cannot be seen, except through face shields and face masks, and only felt in coughs, aches, and troubled breathing, stole my students from me. Thirty-two days in the classroom would have had my students almost ready for fifth grade. They would have completed their last fictional stories of the year and turned their stories into a movie. They would have learned about animal adaptations, created their own new plants and animals, and completed research reports on animals of their choice. They would have completed the drama program we started, focused on their social and emotional learning and learned how to tame the dark side of each of us that comes out when we’re frustrated or scared. They were robbed of a program that they needed so much, especially now. Will the breathing techniques and coping strategies we worked on all year be enough to get them through this? — Jessica Tomcsik, Hollywood, “The Rabbit Hole Called 2020, Part I” – Quarantine through the life of a 4th grade SMCPS teacher.

Yard Sign for a high school senior — Frank Roth, Waldorf, “Class of 2020” – These signs are essentially all we have to publicly recognize a culmination of 13 years of your blood, sweat, and tears. But never forget the memories and relationships you’ve forged, how proud we all are of everyone of you, and know you have a rock solid future whatever path you choose. Congratulations to every single graduate from the class of 2020. We love you all and are so proud of you!