First Day of School, 2014

Here we are all bright and sunny! First day of the 2014 - 2015 school year. It's been a long journey for the school since we moved from Winthrop at the end of June. A new location, a new director, new teachers. We are renewing ourselves as a community with many new parents and children. The last two months have shown us the depth and nature of our community. Parents, staff, partners, friends all hoisting boxes into and out of storage containers, unpacking, storing, painting, cleaning, building. It's been a whirlwind of activity punctuated with periods of stillness and uncertainty. And yet, as the days unfolded into weeks and then into months and then back down again to days and hours, we made the transition. We created a beautiful, cheerful, child friendly learning environment. This morning, we met to hold our traditional opening circle, parents and children holding hands, and extending welcome. We bowed to each other using the Japanese Aikido invitation to work together: Will you help me? As the new director, I feel deeply grateful for the support and passionate commitment, for all the ways this community answers that question. When we ask, we get help. I hope to make regular posts here to keep our wider community aware of what we're doing, and to pass along our collective gratitude for all this beautiful Valley has to offer.