November 20, 2020   

Dear Lower School Families,

This afternoon, our students begin Thanksgiving break. As we all prepare to break for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are thankful to have a community that is supportive and caring, especially during these tumultuous times. Your safety and well-being, as well as our own, are our primary concerns. Because Thanksgiving is typically spent with family and friends and often traveling, this holiday may feel very different. We encourage you to stay at home and limit your contact with people outside of your household during this week-long break while savoring the time you have with your immediate family. If you are traveling to a state that has a positivity rate of 15% or higher, you will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days upon your return. To view Ohio’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory page, please use this link.

When we return from Thanksgiving break, our dining hall will resume service, but we will be having sack lunches delivered to each homeroom. We have found that sack lunches provide our homerooms with the flexibility to go outside to eat and enjoy lunch whenever they wish during the day. Families are welcome to supplement their children’s lunches with additional food and, if you prefer, you may continue to send lunches with your children from home. For those who currently receive special dietary lunches, your children will continue to receive sack lunches that meet their individual needs. These sack lunches will be provided from November 30th through December 17th. Here is a link so you can see the menu for those first two weeks. The dining hall will once again provide daily snacks for all lower school students. You may continue to send in fresh fruit or vegetables as additional snack options for your children.

The next book selection for the Parent Book Club is “The Power of Showing Up” by Dr. Daniel Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson. We will meet via Zoom on Tuesday, December 8th, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. to discuss chapters 1-3. If interested, please complete this form. Additional reviews of the book can be found here.

Please note the following seasonal changes to the dress code that are in effect from November 30th until we return from spring break in April:

  • Shorts may no longer be worn.
  • Leggings or tights must be worn under skorts.
  • Hoodies are not allowed inside the building at any time.
  • Appropriate outerwear (jacket, gloves, hat, snow pants) need to be at school each day.
  • Students are not permitted to have extreme or unnatural hair color/style.

There is no school for students on Wednesday, December 2nd. This is a faculty workday.

This week’s parenting article is from The American Academy of Pediatrics and is entitled “How to Celebrate Holidays Safely During COVID-19.” It can be found using this link.

On behalf of the entire Lower School, I wish you a safe and meaningful Thanksgiving. May it be spent making special (albeit different) memories and enjoying lots of family time. We would also like to thank you for all of the support you have shared with us this fall. A lovely Winnie the Pooh book quote goes something like this: when Piglet asks Pooh “How do you spell LOVE?” and Pooh profoundly replies “You don’t spell it, you feel it.” We have certainly felt your love, kindness, generosity and support in the Lower School this fall and are grateful your family is here.

Be well,

Head of Lower School