Our theme for 2020 and 2021 was Stay Rooted, Branch Out. This year required that we trust our traditions to guide us through the uncertain days ahead. We looked to our roots to sustain us, hold us in place and to remind us of where we came from. We kept our students at the center of the learning process and focused on the whole child. We created a safe space for them. We met them where they were and not where we thought they should be. We reached out and supported our community locally and globally.
A year ago, the staff each wrote down three of their core values and we combined them into a Community School house design. They included family, adventure, gratitude, honesty, kindness, equality, respect, flexibility, and perseverance. All of them were needed this year. As we faced unfamiliar landscapes, we had to branch out and be willing to make mistakes and have faith.
We updated and expanded our computer skills as we committed ourselves to new educational platforms, programs, and apps for virtual learning. We adopted Google classroom and spent too many hours on Zoom. We found new ways to take advantage of and appreciate our outdoor spaces by creating classrooms, gardens and exploration centers and even finding quiet spaces in the Big Woods. We learned to redesign, reimagine and pivot. We took risks and tried new things, we looked inside and dug deep to show up for our students and each other.
We are so grateful that we were able to be here this year. Your children helped center us and make sure that we looked outward and moved forward, and they reminded us everyday what was really important.
Thank you supporting us and sharing your children. We are honored.
Linda Roth
Executive Director
