April 21, 2021
Dear Families,
Yesterday’s verdict in the trial of the murder of George Floyd was historical. The Chancellor’s letter beautifully encapsulated the acknowledgement of moving forward, and also how deeply educators are woven into the conversation. I went to bed last night and woke up this morning to the staff emailing about when and how to make space for our children's voices, and watched as they began to share resources and plans.
For those of you who did not see this piece in the NY Times this morning, please read it: How I’m Talking to My Kids About the Derek Chauvin Verdict. I cried while reading it on the subway. Every day, there is something taking place in our city, country, and the world. The news is a constant feed of anxiety provoking news. Our children hardly have the categories in which to sort all of this in their growing minds and bodies. We cannot protect them with anything but honesty, space for listening, truth in our own bewilderment, and a promise to be by their side as we move ahead. There are so many stories of bravery, quotable and beautiful comments, examples of resilience. We can reach out to capture them, make sure our students see their world through many lenses, and respect their questions.
The staff will continue to talk about the events, past, present and future, in thoughtful and careful ways.
GRADUATION
It is sad, and incredible that we are planning another online graduation. As last year proved, we are actually good at these online events- done with a lot of creativity and laughs. We cannot wait to put the spotlight on our graduates. We really appreciate what they have been through for their middle school experience. It will be a time in history to talk about for many years to come. It does not take away from all that our children have missed as middle schoolers, but it certainly makes us all the more sensitive to what we will work hard to do in May and June.
PTA BLASTS/FAMILY LETTERS/EMAILS FROM ADVISORS/REMIND TEXTS
Please read them all and take a look at the school website. Cross check the information. Write something on your calendar or put an alert on your phones. We COMMUNICATE a lot. Check everything - twice if necessary. The news is out - we tell you everything. The sign-ups and google forms are constantly recirculated so please make it part of your routine to read the many forms of communication.
CONVERSATION ABOUT THE 8TH GRADE REGENTS
We are having an 8th grade conversation about the REGENTS on May 6 at 10:00am. We will share the information about the pros and cons of having your child sit for the Regents so you can make a more informed decision. Please look for the PTA Blast and invite.
With Respect,
Jacqui
