Morning Greetings

On most days, I spend the early morning at Slate School greeting the arriving students and their families at drop off. I am honored to observe the tender transitions from home to school, and from one family to our larger school family. No two mornings are the same, but they have many things in common. I am always the recipient of a whole lot of smiles and waves. I often get hugs from a child or parent as they hurry past to their classroom. I’ve learned which friends could use my help in opening a car door, or a reminder to grab both gloves on days that are cold. My goal is to share in the joy of coming to Slate School and demonstrate that I am always available for more serious conversations whenever needed.

I am grateful that our families know that this community is there to support them in all kinds of weather. From the parent who is dropping off their child and then heading to a doctor appointment to hear test results, to another parent who shares their struggle to balance the demands of work and family, Slate School is there for them. My mornings out front have also allowed me to meet grandparents, aunts and uncles, and brand new babies. On this day, the Parent Partner Group created gift baskets full of incredible items to be raffled as a part of our holiday fundraising. The table where the beautifully decorated baskets were on display was surrounded by excited children and their parents, either donating additional items, or buying raffle tickets. The weather was crisp and cold, but nobody minded because there was so much warmth in the kindness and laughter of the group.

There is much to love about Slate School. We have a team that is dedicated to facilitating the richest, most curiosity driven education available anywhere. We allow space for all of the wonderings of our children, and we respectfully help them to discover the answers to their biggest and deepest questions. We have truly interdisciplinary Art, and Science, and Music, and History, Language, and Mathematics learning happening in all of our classrooms everyday. This is unusual and wonderful, but it is the relationships that we develop that really make our school great. Those relationships are abundantly clear as the cars pull up and the happy children emerge.

I have found a kind of rhythm to the experience. Regardless, I know that I am so lucky to be in this environment, surrounded by nature, and in the company of this remarkable community. As families leave, I always wish everyone a great day, and when they return the wish, I say with total confidence, “I will.” And it all starts with Drop off.

Have a great day!

—Julie