Dear Brick Families,
Happy New Year! I hope that you all enjoyed a restorative, happy and healthy holiday break. As 92nd Street is again bustling with joyful sounds of your children learning and at play I am thankful that we remain able to be in community, learning with, and from one another, whether we be in person or connected via Zoom. Thank you for your ongoing vigilance in support of our community health efforts.
Since we have returned, the children have regaled us during morning and afternoon meetings with stories of the special family celebrations and traditions they enjoyed over the holidays and I am reminded of our theme for the year “The Story of Us” and how each of your children’s unique gifts and experiences enriches our community. When they share their gifts it helps them not only to reflect upon who they are, but also to explore the question of “Who are we?” as a community. In this vein, 4North recently completed a survey about what the children like to do before bedtime, and 4South began their in-depth self-portrait project. As I observed parts of this process in both classrooms I enjoyed seeing the children reflect upon each other’s answers and choices, helping them to think more deeply about their own preferences and self, ultimately bringing the whole class closer together as they shared themselves so freely.
You may remember at the start of the school year I shared my belief in the importance of educating our young students during this complex time in the context of continued optimism supported by resilience, courage and flexibility. In our community I regularly see so many examples of each of these; 3 year olds cheerfully wearing masks without complaint, parents entrusting that which is most precious to them, to us, during this most uncertain time, teachers eagerly implementing revised health protocols to help keep their students safe, 4 year olds taking risks and taking on new and challenging tasks, 2 year olds making new friends, that I am compelled to add gratitude to the list of values that sustain us this year.
So as we begin 2022, know that we are grateful for each day with your children as we endeavor to live our mission of nourishing your children’s emotional, social, intellectual, physical, ethical, and spiritual well-being. I hope you all enjoy this long weekend.
Warmly,
Amy Warden
Director of The Brick Church School
