Celebrating the Week of the Young Child, observing the recent preschool conference process, and approaching the end of another wonderful school year has caused me to reflect on the amazing educators whose expertise and efforts make it all possible.
Since the benefits that relate directly to you and your children are already familiar to you, I will share a brief glimpse of how each member of our team has inspired, taught, or helped me in some unique way during the year. 

Mrs. Bird – Thank you for your flexibility and diligence in playing new roles, experimenting with new schedules, and extending your substituting prowess to include my Practicum class.

Miss Bowers – Thank you for being a coach, cheerleader, and pinch-hitter for the many different individuals that you serve, as well as for all the times you strategize with and run interference for me.

Mrs. Grabowski – Thank you for doing the lion’s share of the work organizing the Discovery Area materials, collecting or coding data for two research projects, and mentoring a new staff member.

Miss Hancock – Thank you for volunteering to represent our staff in the Alcoa Collaborative and for agreeing to run for PAEYC’s Treasurer so that we can work together in the community.

Miss McMichael – Thank you for your willingness to learn more technology skills to find new resources and develop materials for your colleagues, as well as for sharing your lessons with all age groups to broaden our program.

Mr. Myers – Thank you for your eager learning, serious reflection, and sincere desire to link theory and practice, as well as for your quick adjustment to the fish-bowl lifestyle of a laboratory school.

Mrs. Perovich – Thank you for your directness and openness in communication and problem solving, as well as your sense of broad perspective balanced with a sense of humor and fun.

Miss Prevost – Thank you for your quiet but conscientious work ethic and your courageous efforts to manage full-time work with graduate education (and wedding planning).

Mrs. Rosenblum – Thank you for your boldness in pursuing your masters research, initiative in scheduling it with sensitivity to your colleagues constraints, and practical approach to keeping it all in perspective.

Miss Saavedra – Thank you for experimenting with a new newsletter format that inspired others to explore, helping us to fill some key gaps in coverage, and for your hard work on the Week of the Young Child exhibition.

Mrs. Simpson – Thank you for being a helpful sounding board, gentle critic, loyal supporter, diligent worker, alert manager, resourceful networker, careful organizer, sensitive liaison, and faithful friend.

Mrs. Solomon – Thank you for your warm morning greetings, consistent support of my personal and professional growth, and continual emphasis on giving your best in any and all circumstances.

Mrs. Tomer – Thank you for your sincere interest in accessing new resources, particularly for addressing parenting issues, your sensitivity to your colleagues’ concerns, and your reminders of what’s really important in life.

Miss Williams – Thank you for your calm and consistent approach to the diverse tasks you encounter, as well as for your continual offers of assistance whenever there is work to be done.

The Undergraduates – Thank you for asking questions that prompt me to do further reading and to find new ways of applying and extending my knowledge.

You are all amazing individuals who can work wonders as a team!

I hope that reading my appreciation list will prompt you to reflect on the ways that the Children’s School staff has impacted you and your family.  We would love to hear your reflections in person, via a note, or in an email message.  Also, enclosed with this newsletter is a structured evaluation form designed to invite you to share your perspective on our program, including our current progress and possibilities for the future.  We hope that each one of you will take the opportunity to provide your honest input so that we can best plan our improvement efforts for the coming year.  I appreciate the many parents who have already taken the time this year to share their feedback with me personally and to assist with advancement projects.  Together, we create an exceptional environment in which we all can grow and learn.