Twists and Turns 

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• Ross Sheehan

My biggest worry in August 2019 was whether my kids had all the clothes they needed to start school. Back then, they were excited to see their friends and maybe a little nervous about getting along with their teachers.

Seems like a lifetime ago.

This is a different kind of year. When I asked Ivy and Graham what they were looking forward to, both said basically the same thing: being in school five days a week. Not the answer you might expect from teenagers.

And it's not just because they want to see their friends. After a year and a half of remote and hybrid learning, they crave being in the same room as their teachers and peers, even if they all have to wear masks. They've realized they learn better that way and that being together makes school much more fun.

Like many parents, I'm hoping their schools can stick with in-person classes five days a week. So are Vermont pediatricians, according to Rebecca Bell's essay in this issue, "Going Back to School During Delta." Bell offers some helpful and hopeful guidance for navigating the return to school while the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 complicates the process. The essay pairs nicely with our abstract cover illustration by Ross Sheehan.

Going back to school isn't the only change we're navigating here at Vermont's only parenting publication. After a summer of conversations and planning, we've decided to print four issues of Kids VT each year instead of 11, and to organize our issues thematically. This is the Back to School Issue; the next one, which will hit the streets on November 17, will be the Holiday Issue. We'll be investing more time and resources into each one.

Between editions, we'll be covering news affecting kids and families, as well as events and activities, but we'll be delivering that information online — through our email newsletter, social media channels and Seven Days, our Burlington-based newsweekly, published every Wednesday.

You may have noticed that Seven Days is now regularly reporting news about K-12 education, often written by staff writer — and former Kids VT managing editor — Alison Novak. Seven Days should also be where you turn for the latest, most up-to-date information about events such as concerts and harvest festivals. The pandemic has made it hard to plan, so it doesn't make sense right now to print a calendar of events a month or more in advance.

We're still as committed to our readers as ever, though. And we'll continue to put out a publication that reflects our creative and vibrant community — one that inspires all of us to engage with it, and with each other.

Enjoy this issue. And if you haven't already, sign up for our email newsletter at kidsvt.com, or follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Got ideas for us? Share them by emailing us at [email protected]. Thanks for reading!