Dear Greene Towne Parents,

I trust that you all are well! We’ve been enjoying a seamless transition back into our school routines after winter break and the classroom is full of energy and momentum. We have a lot of big changes coming up here at school and I wanted to reach out and share some thoughts and stories from the classroom.

To prepare for our move to the new building next month, we have been spending a lot of time talking about what this change means for everyone. We’ve had some very lively conversations during circle about our hopes for the new space, as well as some fears and concerns. Fortunately, the optimistic excitement I’m hearing from the class has been the main focus and I feel that we’ve been able to allay any concerns. I’ve also been able to share some exciting reports about what our new space will look like after a recent tour.

For our move, I will be leaving some of our shelves bare and some of our materials boxed up. The plan is for our class to unpack boxes and stock our shelves when they arrive in the new building, so they are active participants in the move. I can’t wait to see our students outfitting our new environment and putting the last pieces in place to make it feel like home. I think it will be a joyful and memorable experience for this special transitioning group.

Many of you will remember the plexi-glass dividers that were installed on our tables at the beginning of the pandemic to serve as an extra barrier between individuals. As we continuously work towards returning to a degree of normalcy that we enjoyed before the pandemic, I have received the green light to remove these barriers and, last week, we staged a demonstration in which I dismantled one and had some students help dispose of the pieces. I’m hoping that this change will help us move into our new space feeling just a little bit closer to our neighbors.

I will soon be sending out another randomly compiled schedule for show and tell, but I would like to reserve that for our time in the new building. Stay tuned for the list! I will also be sending out a schedule for check-in calls to be held over zoom or the phone over the course of the next few weeks. I’m looking forward to speaking with each of you and catching up.

Please enjoy some photos from the classroom from recent weeks, including a few from the table divider dismantling demo!

Warmly,

Mr. Patrick