Prayer for the Start of a (Pandemic) School Year

In 2011, I wrote a prayer for the start of school.
(It's odd, since the child who started Pre-K that year is starting 8th grade this one.)

A friend recently asked if I'd updated this prayer for a new year, and I thought it was an excellent idea. More than ever, we need a little encouragement as we start this new school year, so fraught with uncertainty and strain. So many of us are worried and waiting, wondering and wishing. What will tomorrow bring? We don't know. So we put one foot in front of the other, act with patience, and pray that the new year brings promise.

A Prayer for the Start of our Pandemic School Year (hopefully never to be used again)

May it be a year of learning and growth, a year of new experiences and understanding. 
May they outgrow their shoes and may they not lose their masks. 
May the hand sanitizer be plentiful so their hands are clean, but may they have clean hearts too.
May each day bring something new and may routine guide their steps.
May they be flexible and resilient, with a strength far beyond their years.
May their pencils be sharp and their minds even sharper.
May the internet be strong, and the links be true.
May they revel in the joy of each new fact learned, each right answer, each small accomplishment.
May the erasers on their pencils get as much use as the tips, and may their chatroom comments be kind.
May they learn that wrong answers can be just as important as right ones.
May they ask questions, lots and lots of questions, and may their teachers be patient. Very patient.
May their teachers encourage their growth of spirit and may they see deeply into their eyes, even through the pixels of the screen.
May they make friends and build relationships, and may they make lifelong connections.
May they appreciate the little moments of connection and learn to find joy in their own company as well.
May they be kind and polite and each one a mensch of the highest order. 
May this year be a stepping stone, a moment in time, and may we take its lessons to heart as we find blessings along the way.

From delivering David to his freshman year at UIUC