Welcome Back Families!
I want to extend a warm welcome back to school to all of our families. It has been a wonderful week, greeting your children and seeing them all settle into a space they truly know as their own. We have welcomed in new students and families alike, and we are so glad that you are here with us!
It has been an extremely hot week. We have been taking our time with children, making sure we stay cool in all the ways we can — drinking loads of water, shutting off lights, playing in sprinklers and the pool, running fans in classrooms and venturing outdoors to quiet shaded spots around campus. Your children have been great partners in this effort, taking care of themselves and one another.
Improvements to our Facilities
As you make your visits to campus for meetings, special events, and Back to School Night on September 20, you will notice several updates to our buildings. The middle building on the ridge — that which houses Rachel, Marie, and Sam’s group and Marea and Sara’s group — has new waterproof vinyl plank flooring installed throughout, and we plan to install HVAC in this building during a school break later this year.
Other initiatives are underway — including improvements behind the office building and along one wall in Diane and Sarah Y’s classroom. We are pleased that there are several new doors installed throughout campus, that the Moore Building has a new roof, and that Louis and Jeri’s group will enjoy caring for a new hen house.
One School, One Program
All of these efforts, a part of a developing 10-year facilities maintenance plan, coincide with our programmatic focus for the next several years: One School, One Program. Not only are we updating our spaces to create the most ideal learning environments, we are reviewing our program to ensure our academic curricula is interconnected and consistent across classrooms and grade bands.
- We are using our published Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies scope and sequences as our guide, while also allowing space for students to follow their curiosities across subjects.
- We are rolling out Investigations as the backbone of a consistent math curriculum for use in all classrooms (K-5).
- As a staff, we have clearly articulated expectations for student experiences across campus.
What does this mean for you?
Each year, we build on what students have already learned, using intentional curriculum and assessments of children in each academic subject. This year we are reevaluating how we can better assess what students are learning and how we communicate this information to parents. You will see documentation of your child’s growth and areas that require continued work at parent-teacher conferences and in reports.
To help guide us, we have formed a new Administrative Team that includes Rossana Zapf and Jen Curyto to oversee our curriculum — in addition to their continued work on learning support. The Admin Team also includes our new social worker, Miranda Featherstone, admissions, development, and communications.
Our community’s strength is in the way we are all interconnected. Please reach out to your teachers as your partners, and as your first point of contact on any topic. Ask clear, direct questions. Share your expectations and constructive feedback.
Each of your children are so important to us, and we look forward to knowing them and supporting their academic learning and personal development this year, and for many years to come.
