I was out for morning arrival today, coffee in hand, greeting everyone, and taking advantage of the outdoor mask removal so I could enjoy basking in the sunshine. Like Relay for Life on the weekend, it was a great opportunity to soak in the apparent relaxing spirit of the feeling of recovery, even while limited by our sense of caution. I also shared a bit of time with Elementary staff this morning as they gathered outside officially for the last time, sharing their praise and farewells in creative ways. I’m certain similar events will play out in Middle School and High School in the final days.
But, our most significant event is back, even though we won’t quite be ready to open our doors wide, we will be outdoors for our Closing Assembly on the Annex field, complete with all students and staff, our Flag Ceremony and bell ringing to bring our toughest year on record to a traditional close. We have much to be proud of and we are hopeful that this event will bring important punctuation to all that we have accomplished together. Here’s the link for the live stream feed so that we can share this with all of you:
We start at 10:00a!!
Next Year Protocols
As promised, and we will discuss at the Town Hall, I have a draft to share for our upcoming shift next year to more detailed protocols. This is a draft for public comment, so it comes with a link to a survey for you to share your comments after you have a chance to review. I’ll be reviewing with my team and staff later in July as we get ready for the school year and a final version will be published in August along with other announcements.
Link to the document is HERE
Link to the survey is HERE
Thank you in advance for your participation in our process of planning and looking forward. You have until early July to provide your thoughts.
Final Note
A final note of thanks to all for your fortitude and courage throughout the year. I’m happy and proud having been your shepherd this year and I want it clearly understood that we could not have achieved this without each and every one of you. Even in periods of adversity, I appreciate that it encourages us to consider other points of view and balance our approach in the shadow of conflict. I was happy to be the target of anger and frustration, I’m happy to serve in that role if it helps. I remain committed to all of you as we continue this journey together, staff, parents, and students. I wish for all of you a wonderful summer of recovery and renewal. For those departing to other adventures, we will miss you and hope for you a journey that is safe and rewarding. For those new families who may also be reading this, we look forward to greeting you in August, ready to embrace fellowship together. We welcome you!
As one student in Grade 5 wrote to me recently, “I have been given a great opportunity to become part of the ASW Community, which I am very thankful for. I promise not to take it for granted and always be the best MS Warrior I can!” I appreciate the idea that we all should consider how we contribute in a community like this. Let’s all take this to heart as we plan for reuniting in August!!