Since last spring, when we were first faced with the impact of the COVID pandemic, our School Community has shown its strength and tenacity. We have worked hard together, learning as we travel through uncharted waters, all in support of our children. This hasn't been easy on anyone in our community, but as hard as the challenges have been, our community has met them with grit, humor, and enormous amounts of generosity of time, energy and wisdom. 

This year's holiday season certainly will look different from past years. Here at school, we are missing our usual seasonal events that involve shared meals and snacks together, but our staff have still infused the week with fun projects and time to reflect on the good, even during these difficult times. 

In the Yosemite Room, our Kinders played Fall Bingo using the bingo cards sent home last week in packets. This engaging reading lesson was filled with laughter and light and apparently many winners! It also provided an opportunity for the class to talk about being a good sport and a good friend, even when engaging in competition.

Our Lower Elementary Students created many projects around gratitude including their Thankful Turkeys. Students arrived at their list of gratitudes independently, making it all the more meaningful. Each class meeting will also feature time for the children to share what this holiday means to them.

In Upper Elementary they engaged in a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt - students have 1 minute to look around their home for objects or representations at home for which they are thankful and then share that with their class. For fun, some Upper Elementary Students played a Thanksgiving Escape Room game that featured clues and called up reading, cultural and history lessons (in the form of Thanksgiving trivia), and even some math! At the end of their individual 'escapes' they reported their success code and received a certificate, naming them a 'Top Notch Turkologist.'

To everyone in our community who lends their support to our students and staff, and to our families in these trying times, we say a simple and heartfelt thank you, thank you, thank you! 

Today, we'd also like to take a moment to thank a few people who have provided significant financial donations to our programming over the last several months. Please join us in thanking Peter & Kareen Worrell and our Anonymous Supporting Family. Both of these families have committed to significant multi-year support of Mill Falls because they are so moved by the work we do and the students we serve. We are also fortune to receive multi-year support from Kanteres Real Estate, Elm Grove, Arthur Sullivan, Accurate Title, Cornerstone, Dr. Spiros & Sharon Mitsopoulos, as well as the many long-time participants in our Monthly Giving Program.