With Gratitude

June 18, 2020

Dear Families:

As today marks the close of the 2019-2020 school year, I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone in the role they played to transform a school system overnight.  We will long reflect on the successes and challenges.  Tonight, I focus on the successes because they warrant celebration.

The partnership between families and schools has never been more intimate.   The efforts to keep children connected with valued adults and their peers happened because of creative and sometimes extraordinary approaches.  The moments we treasure as traditions still remained through the dedication and efforts of many to reinvent them.  We realized that our work in the emotional wellbeing of students and racial acceptance of all created a strong foundation for opening dialogue as to the conversations that I believe will result in true change.  This community led outreach to those who treat the ill and offered gestures to recognize essential workers.  We provided food to those in need solely as a result of volunteers and the financial generosity of others.  And ..perhaps we realized what was most important in those crazy, hectic, overscheduled lives we all used to lead.

There are many challenges yet to come.  I will continue to provide regular updates both about events in the community and the planning for school in the fall.

In the meantime, let’s all take a few minutes to be grateful for one another and all that we have instead of what we lost.  I expect we will be richer for it in the long run.  Thank you all so much.

Best,

Laurie