Dear Families,

 

Seeing many of you this week as you dropped off notes and gifts for teachers warmed my heart. It actually felt more like a regular school week than any in the past two and a half months. Thanks also for those who contacted me about sending in/dropping off contracts. I will continue my calls next week to families from whom we have not received contracts. I look forward to catching up.

 

I hope you enjoyed the Recognition Day video. If you missed it, here it is. The teachers offered wonderful photos to Nicole Goswami, and she worked so hard to put together a special video to represent Recognition Day in a way that feels like Pine Cobble, even if remote. Thank you, Nicole. We will keep you posted on the Recognition Day book and the annual yearbook that will come to your children in the mail, hopefully, in the next two to three weeks.

 

Today is graduation!! Congratulations to our graduates - Elianna Brownell-Wilkins, Nathan Baran, Sadie Lentzner, Lauren McAllister, and Oliver Zema. 

 

Our 2019-2020 school year has officially come to a close. It has been a year like no other for our students, our faculty and staff, and all of you. We will never forget this year for so many reasons, and we can't thank you enough for your partnership.

 

I know the million dollar question is what will next fall look like. Let me begin by saying, we started planning for next year with a reopening task force with members of the board and our administrative team back in April. Below is a list, in general terms, of what our daily work looks like.

• Closely watching schools overseas that have opened to understand what they have successfully navigated with regard to safety and programming. Following stats from the CDC and WHO. Participating in webinars from our regional and national accrediting bodies.

• Figuring out what we need to order that is essential whether we are on campus or remote, in areas of health and safety as well as programming and technology. The ordering lead times are something we have been mindful of every step of the way.

• Studying our physical plant and how we can meet the requirements that are coming out. We are preparing for the most demanding requirements possible.

• Scheduling options we will need to draw upon in order to deliver the robust program for which Pine Cobble is known to our entire community of families who have different work demands and family make ups.

The list is extensive for every one of those topics and many more. Once again, our plan is to open in the fall. We will need to follow health and safety guidelines provided by the federal government and the State of Massachusetts. We will also look to guidelines provided by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and our local Board of Health. We are using the initial guidelines they have out as our framework for ordering health and safety as well as classroom supplies, and mapping out use of our physical spaces here on campus. We are taking every step possible to make being here on campus a reality. We will stay on top of all federal and state guidelines as we prepare, and I will continue to communicate with you throughout the summer when I have information of substance to share. Don't ever hesitate to be in touch with me at school at extension 19.

 

I speak for the entire faculty and staff when I say thank you to you and your children. We appreciate how each of your children and each of you enrich this community by the people you are, the ideas you have, and the purposeful lives you lead.

 

Have a peaceful summer,

Sue