January 26, 2024

Dear Lower School Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you attend the Lower School Skating Party last Thursday! I shared with the students at assembly today that we had skaters at the rink who were skating for the very first time as well as advanced skaters, and everyone was enjoying the evening together. A big thank you to PACA, especially Bonnie Rueber and Katharine Mallory, for their coordination and support to make it all happen.

Carline

In our quest to continually improve the morning carline experience by making it move as quickly and safely as possible, please help us by making sure your children are ready to leave your cars either when a faculty member opens the door or by themselves when you come to a stop. Realizing that winter clothes are bulky, if your children do not have their coats on during the drive, please remind them to put them on either as you approach the carline or once they get out of your cars. Please do not have them put it on after stopping, though, as this delays the cars waiting behind yours.

Parent Book Club

We will meet this coming Tuesday, January 30, from 8:15-9:15 a.m. to discuss the second half (chapters 5-8) of “Never Enough” by Jennifer Breheny Wallace on the main side of our dining hall. Please use this form to sign up. The book can be found in public libraries and online.

Mark Your Calendars for Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences

Our spring parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for March 7-8. All conferences are in-person and on-campus only. School is dismissed at noon on Thursday, March 7, and there is no school for students on Friday, March 8. It is important that you schedule your children’s conferences during one of these two days:

• Thursday, March 7: 1:30 to 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 8: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Additional information and instructions for signing up for conferences will be sent in mid-February.

Parenting Article

This week’s parenting article is from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and is entitled “Three Simple Ways for Kids to Grow Their Self-Compassion.” It can be found using this link.

Upcoming Events

• February 1: A Winter Gathering
• February 14: PACA Connect Meeting, Valentine’s Day Activities & Report Cards Distributed to Families
• February 19: Presidents Day – No School
• February 23: Grade 1 Music Performance
• March 1: Grade 2 Music Performance
• March 7-8: Parent-Teacher Conferences (see details above)
• March 12: Kindergarten Music Performance
• March 16-31: Spring Break – No School

Warm Regards,

Mark L. Hansen

Head of Lower School