Dear Families,
Thanks to all the parents who participated in this morning's Virtual Parent Coffee. I very much appreciate the opportunity to get to know you and to hear your perspectives. Clearly this is a very challenging time, particularly for parents of young children, and it's good for all of us to stay in close communication. I will continue to host virtual coffees every Friday morning at 8:15 for the foreseeable future. You can join them using this link. Next Thursday's Back to School Night (September 24) is another way in which we can communicate with you and work in partnership. While we won't be able to be together physically, we still believe that we can accomplish the same goals via Zoom. The timeline for the evening is as follows: 6:30-7:05 Opening Session
This will include brief welcoming remarks from me, introductions of teachers, presentations from specials teachers, and a few, quick announcements. Please use this link to access the Opening Session.
7:15-8:00 Sessions with Classroom Teachers
Here you will meet with your classroom teachers to learn in more detail about the academic curriculum, about the ways that community and social/emotional needs of children are addressed, and about key events during the year. I've encouraged teachers to share about themselves too, as this is a great opportunity to get to know our amazing teachers both as educators and people. Teachers also will likely talk about how the distance learning program is going and how this is the same as and/or different from a "regular" school year.
Each homeroom teacher will share a separate link with their parents. If you have any technical difficulties, Trs. Amelia (267-422-2912) and Rich (267-607-3257) are on "call" Thursday evening to help.
I'll end by sharing how much fun it was to host this morning's all-school Gathering. After I shared pictures of my family and pets (in that order, although I love my cats and dog!), as well as stories about my hobbies and favorite foods, the children talked about what they love most about LFS. It was an unbridled outpouring of enthusiasm from so many of the kids! They also shared some sage advice for me as the new head of school... definitely wisdom to heed carefully from the mouths of babes.
Thank you for all you're doing at home and for all your support of our work here at school. I look forward to "seeing" you Thursday evening!
Best, Tr. Neal
