MARCH 26, 2020
Dear Baker Families, 

How are you? You’ve been on my mind and in my heart this week. I hope that this finds you and your extended family healthy and well in the midst of this challenging time. 

I shared with the Baker faculty that I’ve been searching for an appropriate metaphor for how this all feels, and I think this one resonates:

Imagine someone shows up at your door to announce they are taking you on a trip. Where? Patagonia, they say, but there’s a chance you could head to Antarctica or the Sahara Desert instead. For how long should you pack? Perhaps a week. Or maybe five weeks. Or more. Packing would be impossible! Imagine the suitcase loaded with clothes and shoes, mittens and swimsuits.  

Now that we have a week of e-learning behind us - I think we are all realizing we have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF that we are trying to take with us on this journey. We need to collectively lighten our suitcases and get to the essentials of what we need. 

As we reflect and move forward, let’s let some important principles guide us:

  • Stay healthy. In the midst of this pandemic, care for your health and the health of your community.  

  • Stay well. Children are so susceptible to adult stress. Do everything you can to care for your own wellbeing. And if your child is humming a song at the end of the day but hasn’t viewed the video of their math lesson, that is still a GOOD day. 

  • Stay kind. Extend the grace you show to yourself and to each other. This is a time to communicate with love, care and generosity to everyone around you - your family, Baker staff and teachers, and your community.

In the spirit of repacking, our faculty and staff have been working to adapt and modify their approaches to e-learning. We are reflecting on last week and incorporating faculty, staff, and parent feedback as we streamline for the longer journey. Thank you to so many who shared your feedback, words of encouragement, and insights in the parent survey.

Tomorrow, we will send an email sharing changes to e-learning going into next week. The short story is we will be streamlining schedules , increasing live interaction and are also integrating Zoom for Education .

In the meantime, be well and take good care, 
Carly Andrews
Head of School

P.S. We will continue to post all emails to our community at bakerdemschool.org/e-learning so you can always check there for the most up to date information.
A Note from Social Worker, Cynthia Eudy
Hello Families, 

When meeting with students, sometimes I discuss our mind’s subconscious reaction to stress and fear. I explain how our brains react the same way they did thousands of years ago when we had to fight for our food and our survival. I explain how our brains today do not know the difference between running from a tiger in the woods or feeling stressed due to an argument with a sibling. This response is called Fight, Flight, or Freeze. 

Today as I was reflecting over the past week’s events and I realized I have been functioning in Freeze Mode for days. Although people around me did not see much of a change in my behaviors besides being quiet and less energetic, I was experiencing difficulty concentrating, an inability to come up with solutions to simple problems, and difficulty processing all the new information I was desperately trying to absorb. Once I recognized this, I could make the changes needed to get myself “UNSTUCK”.

Being self-aware sounds simple but can be very challenging, especially during our current situation. As parents, we need to remember our children are watching us! If we are feeling nervous and stressed, our kids will feel it too. We need to display our calmest and bravest selves and the only way to do so is to be aware of our own feelings and emotions, then take care. Taking care of yourself is NOT a luxury, it is a necessity for you and your children.

Here is a list of suggestions to find what works best for you. 
 
Be well,
Cynthia Eudy, LCSW
Thank You Baker Teachers!














Spring Break Fun - Dance, Exercise, Read
Mr. Andrew reminds everyone to take 5 minutes for yourself through this spring break edition of his popular Take 5 video series. We hope you are inspired to do some 5 minute dance parties and to remember to dance like no one is watching!

Have fun working out with Ms. Chase over Spring Break by doing the Toilet Paper Workout or Paper Plate Workout together as a family!


We hope you are enjoying some reading and relaxation over the break. Enjoy Ms. Andrews reading A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid.




Student Photo of the Week

by Emma, Grade 6





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