By Talia Richman and Corbett Smith, The Dallas Morning News, February 19, 2021
The long-lasting effects of this traumatic year could “change a generation.”
The 100th Day of School is a big event at Frank Guzick Elementary. Kids sprinkle baby powder in their hair to look as if they’re centenarians. They decorate T-shirts with rows of safety pins or Cheerios, adding more and more until they hit triple digits.
This year’s celebration was supposed to be on Friday, and it had taken on a special meaning among some in the East Dallas community.
“It had a different kind of feeling, like ‘Hey, we made it!’” said Rosa Mendoza, the mother of two Guzick students. After shuttering for months last spring because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Dallas ISD school stayed open in the fall, with teachers working in overdrive to help students make up for lost time.
But just before the community could celebrate the milestone together, the school shut down once again. This time because of the historic winter storm walloping Texas, leading to dangerous conditions on the roads and widespread power outages.
“It’s another blow to us,” Mendoza said.
The past 11 months have indeed brought blow after blow to Texas families. Children’s mental health suffered as they went months without seeing friends and learning in physical classrooms. For some, COVID-19 stole beloved family matriarchs and patriarchs. Then a winter storm plunged millions of Texans into darkness, forcing them to boil their water and haul out every blanket in futile attempts to stay warm.
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