Coffee with the Principal (5/7/21)
How are the children?
Happy April Weekend! We are excited to be transitioning to our next phase of instruction this coming Monday, April 5. It has been over 300 days since we have been at school together for a full day of learning. In this transition, it is to be expected that students and teachers will all be rebuilding stamina for the long day. Please remember to be gentle with each other and yourselves during this time.
March 31 was International Transgender Day of Visibility! Happy International Transgender Day of Visibility to all who celebrate! As a parent of a transgender child, this day means a lot to my family. This day is a moment to recognize and celebrate the diversity of gender experiences that exist in our human family. Today and everyday we at LES embrace our trans and non-binary identifying community members, and we condemn discrimination and violence on the basis of gender.
Here is a super wonderful read aloud from Woke Read Alouds to share with kids about gender and it’s many variations: https://youtu.be/HUR3p4c4OTI
Learn more about Transgender Day of Visibility here: https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-honors-international-transgender-day-of-visibility-2021
Please be sure to check out the Third Grade Puppet Show! It is quite amazing. I am especially impressed at the ways in which the group managed to have a cohesive show while everyone was in different places! Beautiful shadow boxes Puppeteers! If you didn’t get to see it, check it out here: https://www.loom.com/share/9f70bfb9cffa4341b2db9572ccad63bb
Students at LES have been super creative this month. In Art students have been studying Architecture. Students have been busy building and designing all types of infrastructure. Check out the March Art Showcase here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MoxbzPSJGbXDJXj5WECfgadZDkz_v1PT0Qp4sHz9LAM/edit?usp=sharing
We are currently requesting donations of reusable shopping bags. These bags will be made into sit-upons for students when they do outdoor activities such as lunch and specials. If you have extra or feel generous while shopping, please consider sharing reusable shopping bags with us!
In order to keep our in-person program possible, please continue to engage in safety strategies with your household. Alongside regular hand washing, social distancing, and wearing masks in public, we encourage you to use the asymptomatic testing sites at UMass and GCC for regular testing. These sites are suitable for individuals ages 5 and above.
As always, thank you for your dedication to Leverett Elementary School. Please let me know if there is any way I can support your family.
Talk soon,
Annie
_________________________________________________________________________________________________