By nature I am somebody who tends to color inside the lines, but Community School taught me to go beyond my comfort zone and become comfortable with thinking outside the box. In a more concrete sense, the focus at Community School on critical thinking and the humanities has made me both a better scientist and a better writer. Community School also helped me to be a more well-rounded person, which is important both on a personal level and in my interactions with patients. […]
No News is Good News
October 10, 2020 Recently we were asked why we are not sharing more information about cases at Community School. Thankfully, so far, we have not had any students or staff with a positive diagnosis. […]
Teacher Feature: Gina Kohler
Gina Kohler holds a BFA in Dance from Kent State University (2001) and an MFA in Dance, from Hollins University/American Dance Festival (2009). She brings with her, to Community School, a wealth of knowledge and experience as a teacher and visiting artist at programs and universities throughout the country. (Read more) […]
Pandemic Fatigue
September 29, 2020 Last week Dr. Molly O’Dell, who is leading the pandemic response for the Roanoke and Allegheny Health Districts, reported that many new COVID-19 cases can be traced to weddings, funerals, baby showers, parties and co-workers dropping their guard. […]
Alumni Update
Houston Johnson, (Seminar ’96; ESP ’00) is on the history faculty at Virginia Military Institute and has recently been promoted to full professor. In addition, beginning July 1, 2020 he will become the Head of the History department at VMI. He also authored the book, Taking Flight – The Foundations of American Commercial Aviation, 1919-1938. He and […]
Update on The Next 50 Campaign
We would like to provide you with an update on The Next Fifty, our campaign for a new building to house enrichment classes, the middle school and our administrative offices. Since its unveiling in November, Community School staff and volunteers have been hard at work to plan and fundraise for this new space. We want to especially thank those of you […]
Reopening Plan for Fall 2020
We continue to monitor COVID-19 cases locally and regionally through the Virginia Department of Health (VDOH) and the Roanoke Health Department. Recently, Governor Northam announced the steps needed to reopen schools, and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) released their extensive guidelines to assist with the process. School openings will occur in three phases. These […]
Black Lives Matter
But all our phrasing—race relations, racial chasm, racial justice, racial profiling, white privilege, even white supremacy—serves to obscure that racism is a visceral experience, that it dislodges brains, blocks airways, rips muscle, extracts organs, cracks bones, breaks teeth. You must never look away from this. You must always remember that the sociology, the history, the […]
Update on Planning for a Safe Return to Campus
Dear Families, As the state of Virginia looks for ways to open up slowly, Community School is also trying to find a safe way to return to school. We miss everyone and want you back on campus. We recognize life at school will have to adapt to our new reality. A planning committee is working to develop protocols […]
A Look Back at the Strawberry Festival plus Join us for a Socially Distant Strawberry Festival!
Around this time 40 years ago, a group of ambitious Community School volunteers found themselves in the throes of preparation for Community School’s First Annual Strawberry Festival. Their goals were simple. Bake and sell a minimum of 2000 shortcakes. Raise a minimum of $2000 for Community School. Families and volunteers were tasked with baking shortcakes […]
