Dear Concord Hill Families;

What are the theme songs you would choose for your first week of Home Learning? Perhaps "A Whole New World" from Alladin? Or maybe you took advantage of extra time together like this family who adapted “One Day More” from Les Miserables . Our very own Kristen Wendt created this Hamilton parody of “Satisfied” now titled “Sanitized”! (Please note the videos are for adults). I am confident that no one song could capture the range of thoughts, feelings, and emotions that we are all experiencing as we journey into this new reality together.

I want to begin by congratulating everyone on making it through your first few days of Home Learning. I want to thank our faculty and administration for their incredible efforts. Learning to teach and support young children from a distance in an effective and developmentally appropriate manner presents many challenges. I have been so proud of our faculty’s dedication, flexibility, creativity and can-do attitudes as they learn new tools and figure out what works well and what doesn’t; all of this while juggling their own family situations has been nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you to our parents who have been extremely supportive, encouraging, and flexible. We know that you are also juggling many responsibilities and challenges at home and work, and that the parent–teacher partnership is taking on new meaning this week. I also want to thank our students for their efforts and flexibility. We know that being separated from school and friends is really hard but we believe in you! I have been so impressed by the comments, pictures, and videos that have been posted to Seesaw. Keep doing your best and remember that we are here for you and we miss seeing you in person!

I want everyone to remember that while we are physically separated, we are all connected through the bond we have as the Concord Hill community. This is a challenging and humbling experience for us all, but I am confident that we will grow stronger together through it. We have started a new, private CHS Facebook group for families and hashtag #CHSstrong , to capture these special moments along the journey.

I have heard other heads of school compare this week to the first week of school. While I understand the comparison and acknowledge the newness of the situation (including the need to establish new expectations, routines, and procedures), it is important to remember the deep relationships and trust that have been building amongst students, teachers, and parents over the last six months. It will take some time for us to get the Home Learning plane up to its cruising altitude, and there will of course be some turbulence along the way, but you can trust in your flight crew and together we can fly to new heights. 

To help us do this, we ask for your support and feedback along the way. Below you will find links to quick surveys where you can provide feedback on the Home Learning experience thus far. The surveys are specific to each grade level and we ask that you complete these before noon tomorrow so we can reflect on this feedback as we make initial adjustments for the coming weeks. Please keep in mind that these are early days and some pieces to the home learning puzzle will take time to come into full view. Each survey can be done in less than 5 minutes. Thank you for taking the time to complete them.

Lastly, please join us tomorrow for a virtual morning meeting as we come together to connect and celebrate our special community. I am not quite sure what will happen when 100 families and faculty jump on Zoom at the same time, so thank you for your flexibility if we have some hiccups along the way. I am so excited to see you all! 

In the meantime, I wish you all the best and continue to send hopes for good health, wisdom, optimism, flexibility, and peace. Hang in there and know that we are here to support you!  

All the best,
Nate Dennison
HOME LEARNING SURVEY
Share Your Feedback!


Please take a moment to complete the following Home Learning survey for your child's grade. We look forward to hearing what is working well and what could be improved!

Tomorrow!
Zoom Friday Morning Meeting
FRI, APRIL 3, 9:00 AM
 
Tune in for a short 15–20 minute CHS Morning Meeting broadcast from Mr. Dennison’s living room. Keep the CHS traditions going strong as we connect virtually to celebrate birthdays, sing songs, learn new dance moves, and more.There may even be a special guest appearance. The whole family is invited to join! 
IMPORTANT:
Zoom Meeting Procedures and Etiquette

  • Please arrive to the meeting on time. The room will be closed and locked at 9:05 AM for security purposes.
  • A waiting room will be open for families that arrive before 9:00 AM.
  • All participants who join the Zoom meeting will be muted and should remain muted.
  • Students and families should not unmute themselves at any point during the Zoom meeting.
  • While the interactions will be limited as we could have 100 participants, if students want to speak they should raise their hand and I will unmute them. 
Not able to attend?  Don’t worry, we will share a link of the experience with our families!

In the meantime, please take a moment to join our
NEW, private CHS Facebook Group for 2019–20!:
Like, tag & share using the hashtag #CHSStrong!
Cancellations

Out of an abundance of caution, the following events have been postponed. Stay tuned for further details. THANK YOU!

April 16 & 17:
3rd Grade Camping Trip

April 17:
CHS Celebration: Family Campout

April 25: :
Children's Fair
CHS Celebration: Casino Night

April 29:
Guest Author Caroline Maguire


CHS Spring Party
Stay Tuned for Details!

As we continue to navigate these challenging times, we are hopeful and looking forward to resuming day-to-day operations. As several annual traditions and events have been postponed or canceled, we are in the process of planning something special to celebrate our community once we reopen campus.

Stay tuned for more information, coming soon!
School Store Sale!
Save 15% on All Apparel
THROUGH APRIL 30

Use code STAYHOME15 to save 15%, along with free USPS shipping until
April 30.

CHS SUMMER CAMP for Ages 3–6
Six, One-Week Sessions Start JUNE 15
Afternoon Care Available

The perfect camp for 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-year olds, Concord Hill School Summer Camp provides a nurturing, fun-filled, and educational environment featuring hands-on activities directed and taught by CHS Faculty.
MR. MEASE'S ALL-SPORTS CAMP
JUNE 8–12 & AUG 10–14
9:00 AM–1:00 PM
$295 per week

Led by Concord Hill School's very own P.E. Teacher Kert Mease, the Golden Goal All-Sports Camp provides opportunities for children to learn team-building skills while improving technique, building confidence, and having fun!
Please check the CONCORD HILL SCHOOL website calendar regularly,
as dates and events are subject to change.
For the safety of CHS students, faculty, and staff,
all visitors are required to sign in at the Front Desk.