| I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that we have all reimagined school this year; from our kindergarten students all the way to university professors! Learning and teaching has undergone a revolution of sorts. We have relied upon parents and students to trust us more than ever. And our teachers have risen to the challenge! I have learned so much from our beautiful community this year. One of the most important things I learned was that our students share their brilliance whether they are on line or at school. They are capable and resilient and will always rise to the challenge. It has shown me that being able to adjust to outside forces is a remarkable strength which will see them through many obstacles in their lives. Another beautiful learning for me has been the realization that our students and staff have come to know deeper and richer relationships with each other. The shine and colour in our lives comes not just from work together but in the value we place on our relationships with each other. The pandemic hyper focused our awareness on the gift of companionship. Students and staff became more attuned to each other’s needs through their frequent contacts albeit through masks. Children developed a greater variety of relationships with staff members from teachers, educational assistants to lunchroom staff. As we have walked this strange path together, I long to begin anew in September and welcome our students back to a bold and exciting new year. I look forward to a year filled with the laughter of students and the music of our work together. A year where we can hopefully join into events such as assemblies and clubs, visits from experts and theatre groups, and more than anything to welcome parents back into the school to join us volunteers and guests! As we start out our post pandemic life may I wish you a happy and safe summer where the sounds of lawn mowers on grass, buzz saws building sheds, conversation flowing from you to your friends and squeals and laughter of children fill your day. As the normalcy sets in may we be reminded of a thought from Sam Cooke, “Roll out those Hazy, Lazy, Crazy days of summer!” With Kindness, Edie Reichardt
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