Connections

Dear parents,

Welcome to the new school year!  It was such a pleasure to see so many of our children, young and old, come together for opening ceremony on Monday and to walk to school together ready to start their explorations of our world, our cultures and our universe!  I have taken several opportunities to observe in different classrooms over the past week, and I have seen our teachers skillfully orchestrating the development of these budding communities at every program level.  The children are slipping right back into their dignified lives in these classrooms that are truly their own.  It is also wonderful to see our returning children and adolescents partner with new and younger children in these first days:  helping each other to learn where everything is and how to accomplish all the things our students can do for themselves. 

“All men must be taught to see the world in all its grandeur, to extend the limits of their lives, to make their individual personalities reach out and touch those of others.”  Maria Montessori, 1939

At Pacific Crest, we create opportunities on a daily basis for children and adults to reach out to each other (and beyond) to make our lives, our environments and our own sense of ourselves much richer.  Keep your eye out for this, and I expect you’ll see it, too.

Thank you to all of you who were able to attend our orientations and parent meetings so far.  I know that it can be difficult to arrange for childcare if you don't have enough lead time -- we are working on fixing that! And we do apologize if that impacted you this month.  We do encourage returning parents to attend these informative events as well, so please check our annual and monthly calendars for several important upcoming events (posted in the main building and online).  Our teachers are always working to revitalize our programs, so they often have new information or new processes to be aware of.  In fact, they have so much to share with you that they often plan to cover a series of topics over the course of three or more years.  It’s also incredibly valuable to new parents in particular, when returning parents can share their experiences of the growth and changes they’ve seen in their children across a three year span.  So please join us:  It’s a really important way that you can support your child’s experience at Pacific Crest and become more connected yourself.

If you have questions about your child's classroom, please connect with your child's teacher - your communication with each other is vital.  If you would like to connect with me, please stop by, call me (789-7889), or arrange a specific time through Sarah at the front desk.  

I am looking forward to all of us getting to know each other better and better over the coming months, in both work and play.  Please join us for the Volunteer Fair on September 26 in the Big Room of the Middle School building, from 5 PM to 7 PM; children are welcome and expected.  They will have space to play while you learn about our annual traditions or about how you can get involved in new ways.  Also, be sure to arrange for childcare now for November 5, Pop-Up Arts Night!  It will be a wonderful evening of culture and fun for parents!

 

With gratitude for the gifts of this collective, great work,

your head of school,

Dorrie Knapp Guy