In two short weeks, the journey of a new school year at TVS begins. Over these summer months, our team has been excitedly preparing for the day that our studio doors will be open and ready for our young heroes to begin their adventure of a new year of learning.
The anticipation of the upcoming school year is tangible and comes with many new additions:
- many wonderful new families
- new members to our world-class team of guides
- new loose parts and outdoor adventure play program
- the launch of our Adventure/Middle School Studio
- a redesigned Discovery Studio
- a year’s worth of projects and learning at our fingertips
And of course- due to the presence of Covid19, we have a few new health policies and safety procedures as part of our daily routine. Mostly- washing hands and wearing masks. The exceptions are when outside and when eating/drinking while physically distanced.
When it became clear that the school day would look a little different in order to open safely for in-person learning, I sought advice from people whose judgment I trust. The response was unanimous and consistent across the board. “Lauren, there are a lot of things you care deeply about, and this doesn’t make the top 10 list. Establish your safety protocols to make in-person learning possible, and move on to what you truly care about: providing the finest education in the world for the children at The Village School. Go on lots of hikes, spend lots of time outside, focus on the learning — and move forward.”
I understand many of you are anxious about the various “unknowns” of the upcoming school year. I’ve worried at the thought of our youngest learners wearing masks while joyfully exploring the Spark Studio. I’ve wondered how well my own two boys will do with these new routines. I’ve talked through various scenarios in effort to normalize these changes to the school day. Each time, I’m reminded of how resilient children are. While we worry, (as all parents do so often under normal circumstances), our children are already adapting. They are uniquely made to learn and grow- at a much faster clip than the adults around them. And, in the end, we cannot choose our circumstances – only how we’d like to act in whichever circumstances we’re in.
With that background, I’d like to make a request of each of us as parents: That we model for our children the character and grace that we hope they develop. If we complain or seem anxious in the car on the way to school, it’s more likely they will too. On the other hand, if we smile and cheer them on to go have an incredible day with incredible friends at an incredible school, that is more likely the path they’ll take.
The Village School thrives in times of innovation. This is a time to be a light on the hill. I have no doubt that we can be that for our children and for each other in the year ahead.
Details for each of your children’s studios will be available next week, including a virtual program overview on Wednesday, August 26th from 4:00-5:00 (Details to come).
As always, thank you for being a part of this community and allowing us to grow and learn alongside your young heroes this school year. It is sure to be a year of deep learning, adventure and, no doubt- a few surprises. 🙂
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