Rhode Island PBS recently announced the winners of our Request for Proposals for short films about the COVID-19 pandemic experience. The creative, thoughtful work by these independent producers is now available to watch on the air and in our On-Demand video library.
One award recipient made a short film about how lives were interrupted and changed by the pandemic, expressed in three heartfelt hand-written letters. One letter was by the RI State Teacher of the Year; the second by a fire chief on the front lines of rescue and protection; the third letter was composed by a college freshman reflecting on her lost ending of senior year of high school.
In the film, the letters are shortened for effect. The filmmakers and we would like to preserve and present the full text of the letters for your reading pleasure at your leisure. Enjoy!
Dear Rhode Island,
My name is Ashley Adamson and I am the 2021 R.I. State Teacher of the Year. I have been teaching for 15 years, and I have spent the last six as a third grade teacher at Hathaway School in Portsmouth, R.I. I was born and raised in Barrington, R.I. and I still currently reside there with my husband, Jon, and four-year-old son, Jack. I have dreamed of becoming an educator ever since I was in first grade. I am so fortunate to wake up every day and look forward to going to work because I absolutely love what I do.
Friday, March 13, 2020, was a day that drastically changed this job that I love as well as my personal life. It was the day I was told that my district would be closing schools for the next two weeks. What started as teaching from home for a few weeks, turned into distance learning for the remainder of the school year. I was nervous, anxious, sad, and hopeful all at the same time. Teaching from home amidst a pandemic was not something I had learned in college. Not only had my professional life been uprooted, but my personal life as well. My four-year-old son would also be home from preschool for the remainder of the year, my husband and I would both be working from home, and it was too much of a risk to continue having our sitter come to the house. Nonetheless, my husband and I buckled down, came up with a plan, and we began to prepare for this new normal.
As I embarked on distance learning, the first thing I realized was the true meaning of teamwork. We had the support of our administration from day one and that never went away. On top of that, I had my co-teacher... CLICK TO READ ON
Dear Rhode Island,
My name is Bob Bradley, and I am the Fire Chief of the Manville Fire Department in Lincoln. For the past 34 years I was a firefighter for the Central Falls Fire Department including the last 8 years as Chief. I come from a family dedicated to public service with my Dad, and my 2 brothers being police officers. I was born and raised and still reside in Central Falls with my wife Michelle, my St. Bernard Jameson, my German Shepherd Lionel and my 2 cats Leroy and Katze. I have 2 children, Kelli who is 32 and Ryan who is 30 and is also a firefighter. I am the oldest of 6 children and we were always taught by our parents to help others and it does not cost a penny to be nice so becoming a firefighter was an easy decision and one of the best decisions I have ever made in my lifetime.
Late February and early March tested both my personal family and my fire department family in ways we never imagined but little did we know it was the beginning of a journey we would never forget and last us a lifetime. At the end of February my family lost our Mom when the talk of COVID on television was just beginning and less than 2 weeks later my department would battle a once in a career mill fire that would consume 9 buildings. As news broke around March 13, 2021 that a shutdown was being considered it became evident that as a bagpiper myself, my favorite holiday of the year on March 17th was not going to happen. As news of what was potentially on the horizon continued to come in, the anxiety level of all the members of the department went through the roof. The many questions of what exactly is COVID-19, do we have enough and the appropriate personal protective equipment on hand to protect everyone and how to try and keep them from taking it home to their families. Personal Protective equipment supplies were in very short supply and getting tougher to find every day. All of a sudden the planning of my former fire chief from over 10 years ago came out of the blue... CLICK TO READ ON
Dear Rhode Island,
We did it. After what seemed to be the longest year of our lives, the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to subside. We were patient, we were vigilant, and we persevered in what was potentially the biggest tribulation of our time. Yes, it is important to acknowledge the positive moments to make the journey feel worthwhile. However, in order to completely move on, we must give a eulogy to our past.
The closing to my senior year of high school fell victim to the pandemic first. Planning for prom, graduation, banquets, picnics, and other senior events had just begun. While the workload was picking up with teachers cramming in material before the end of the year, this seemed trivial, eclipsed by envisioning how our send off would be. But, for most, March 13th was the last day that most of the grade would see each other again.
From a social lens, it is uncomforting that we did not know the last day with our grade would actually be the last day. From an academic lens, students’ hard work over the last four years was recognized by a brief video, a fragment compared to the number of all-nighters spent studying and doing work. From an athletic lens, students had... CLICK TO READ ON
