Letter from Principal Bowman-White
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Letter from Principal Bowman-White – August 15, 2022
August 15th, 2022
Dear Maple Learning Community,
It is with love, hope, and commitment, that I welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year!
This summer I enjoyed spending time at home with my family and bonding with our rescue dogs Joy and Lily! I learned that hugging them in the house all day is not enough to turn them into well-rounded pets; so, we enrolled them in training. My children turned 10 this summer, grew taller, went on their first camping trip, and are excited to begin 5th grade at Maple in the fall.
For some of our families and educators, the past two years have been the most challenging they can remember. Our community had to move through many unknowns and push past the uncertainty to keep going. At times it may have felt like walking uphill in the dark. But even then, in the dark, our fading and flickering lights shone brightly when we stood together.
Our community has much to be proud of. We have moved from in-person learning to remote learning to hybrid learning, and back. We have moved from one “next normal” to another with flexibility and perseverance. We have moved from what we used to do, to gaining new abilities and perspectives from the challenges we have faced. We have proved that we have everything we need to thrive together in the year ahead. As a Maple parent and principal, I could not be any prouder of our learning community.
As our world slowly transitions from a pandemic to an endemic, challenges will remain. Maple will continue to encourage mask wearing and thoughtfully mitigate the risks of Covid-19 while following public health guidelines as they change. We will continue to partner to provide vaccination clinics and move ever closer to returning to the experiences that we value and miss at Maple. This year we are looking forward to welcoming our families back onto campus, returning to some in-person community events, and returning to our 5th grade tradition of outdoor school at Camp Seymour.
The darkness we have been walking through will not last, we are beginning to step into the light. Our future is bright!
In the spring, Maple staff reflected on our bright future and set an intention they wanted to carry into the new school year. The picture below shows many of the beautiful words our staff shared. The larger the word is, the more times it was mentioned:
As we begin this hopeful new school year together, I would like to invite each Maple family to reflect on our bright future too! Please take a few minutes to consider this question with your child or as a family:
- When you imagine yourself in a bright future, what words or thoughts come to mind? (What do you want to feel, know, or remember this school year?)
Please share your thoughts with our learning community on our Bright Future Padlet! Click the link above then the + button on the bottom right to add your thoughts. Thank you!
In Proud Partnership,
Principal Bowman-White
Important Reminders:
- PTSA ordered school supplies on behalf of families.
- Please help us ensure that our students receive the support they qualify for by applying for free or reduced lunch.
Please Mark Your Calendars:
- August 15-19 Jump Start for new Kindergarten students.
- September 7th: 1st day of school for 1st-5th graders
- September 7th-9th: Family Connections before starting school to meet with your incoming Kindergartener’s teacher.
- September 12th: 1st day of school for Kindergarten.