Summer Letter #4
July 28, 2020
Dear Families,
How are you? We do not have HUGE updates. Like you, we are waiting. As we wait we are trying to be proactive and always thinking forward about your children and the 75 Morton community. This is how we are spending our time:
Sharing best practices for Remote Learning among the staff and with colleagues in District 2.
Surveying the staff for the advances they made using technology, and planning a voluntary summer retreat for the staff to teach one another new found expertise.
Reading books on anti-racism.
Buying a new bicycle for commuting, just in case… (ME)
Planning the 6th grade Parent Orientation for late September.
Making a plan for emptying lockers and returning items to students.
Making a plan for giving our graduates their diplomas and yearbooks.
- Scheduling Office Hours with all of you!
- 6th Grade: Tuesday, August 18 | 10:00am -11:00am, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
- 7th Grade: Wednesday, August 19 | 10:00am -11:00am, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
- 8th Grade: Thursday, August 20 | 10:00am -11:00am, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
9. Reminding ourselves that we are a school, no matter what, a community, no matter what, and we are grateful for one another, no matter what.
Have you heard about our Thunder Buddy program?
We have 7th and 8th grade Thunder Buddy Captains who meet with new 6th graders once a week to do community building and friend making activities. The Thunder Buddy Captains (47), are helping the new 6th graders (94) get to know classmates and 75 Morton virtually, but no less enthusiastically. The Captains meet weekly to plan. (They are led by three 8th graders and five teachers who are doing this voluntarily over the summer.) These Captains are learning leadership, organizational, and social skills that are so essential to their own growth. We are so proud of everyone involved in this is unique and special and very necessary program!
We have high hopes for family participation goals this coming year, and you can help!
I admit that this time in history, our lives, the present, all keep me up at night. Yet, I remain laser focused on remembering that our community must stick together in person or remotely. That is who we are. That is what built 75 Morton.
So I am asking a favor: MAKE US PROUD. Please find the time to join us for PTA Community Meetings (next one is August 5 at 11:00am), our Conversations About Race & Humanity series (dates TBA), our August Office Hours, our Advisory Meet and Greets, etc. BE THERE. Please bring friends. I would love to have many pages of faces to scroll through on ZOOM, and to see many faces in person when we are together again.
We depend on your presence, voices, hope. This is a dramatic time in our lives and we can do more and succeed more in larger numbers. Let’s be THAT school. The school that shows up, packs the house (or the screens), and works together. PLEASE. Convince a friend or two to come along. Help us get better at what we do.
The minute we get news, you get Letter #5.
With Respect, and missing you all,
Jacqui and Katie
