Spring Arts in the Time of COVID-19

WSD held its 10th Annual Spring Arts Festival Fundraiser on Friday, May 22. Students and staff had been preparing carefully for this event and were excited to enjoy it with parents in a brand new way. On Friday morning, a link to the 70-minute pre-recorded celebration was sent to all WSD families.

The Spring Arts Festival was established as an event that brings our school community together to celebrate the end of the year, highlight the Arts, and raise funds for WSD. In a normal year, our students would have prepared very differently for this event. We as a community would have enjoyed carefully rehearsed dances by each grade level, art projects by each class, and individual art works by each student. There would have been a live auction, a silent auction, a lot of delightful emcee banter, and a packed house.

Out of necessity, this year’s Spring Arts Festival had to be virtually remodeled. Capturing the joy of WSD students from a distance and formatting videos for presentation was no easy task, especially during a time when digital instruction was already causing everyone to dig deep. But the results were amazing! Although it lacked many of the traditional elements of past years, it was no less inspiring or full of heart. And best of all, it can be relived again and again!

We look forward to the time when students are dancing on the stage again and we are sitting shoulder to shoulder again at future Spring Arts Festivals. In the meantime, we thank our WSD students, teachers, and families for being brave, creative, and inspiring; for finding a way to teach, love, and become stronger together even though we’re apart; for making us feel proud yet again to be part of this WSD Community.