Welcome Back!
I hope you had the most amazing break ever and that your bucket is full! We’re entering the homestretch of the school year (granted, a fairly long stretch, but a good one!) and I am really excited! So far it’s been a year of some really amazing highs, and some legitimate challenges–my hope for the rest of the year is that it is packed with highs!
A few notes to get you going:
1) Recently I began sorting through some of the feedback from the parent listening sessions we had about a month or so ago, and I wanted to share some of the celebrations as we begin this last part of the year. I know you are likely in a hurry, scrambling to get ready after the break, but please take a moment to read these comments–parents really see us and value the work we do!
From the listening sessions:
*Amity has a good community feel – keep it up!
*We love the inter-grade buddies & collaborations.
*So grateful for the community & connection.
*I appreciate how hard the staff works and their dedication to student engagement.
*Love community aspect, inter-grade buddies, & everyone knowing (and caring about) my kid. Thank you!
*We love Lindsey and all the teachers. Their dedication & love are so obvious & appreciated!
*I want to be friends with all the teachers 🧡
*Lindsey is a steady rock of love in this school and I appreciate her consistent presence.
*Gina sounds like she’s amazing. My kids look forward to Friday Enrichment.
*We LOVE that staff know parents & sibs by name!
*We love the emphasis on reading at Amity.
*Ability & flexibility to volunteer. Focus on community and equality with class crossover. Bringing in resilience through experiences, a sense of belonging and nature. PE Meditation.
*You are truly the kindest people!
*Staff at this school are not only wonderful, kind humans – they also have such admirable priorities! I love Amity teachers’ focus on our children’s communication skills, social lives, emotional well being – they are teachers but they aren’t overly focused on academic performance. They care what matters most.
*Patti (need I say more?)
*Buddies – integrating / olders & youngers
*We love Amity so much! The teachers, staff, and families create such a positive, learning-rich community. Amity keeps us in Bend. Additionally, it has this wonderful, unique way of “seeing” each individual student and their unique humanness. When someone – especially a young person – is seen – they will blossom and become who they were born to be. I don’t believe there is anything more important than that.
*We love Patti so much. I feel she is such the heart of Amity.
*My kids wake up each morning excited to go to school. What a testament to the environment you’ve created at Amity! This is what I wish for every child in the world to have 🧡
*My kids feel safe, supported, accepted and happy here!
The staff is incredible! You don’t just say we’re a community, you can feel it.
*Patti!
*Amazing teachers, great front office, Camp Amity, Community Time, Invitations, Cross age buddies!
*I feel all the staff are there for my kiddo 🙂 It is a culture of support & encouragement which helps all the kids grow in many ways, not just academically!Â
*I love the staff at Amity, thank you all for being positive role models, your smiles and keeping it real.
*The whole Amity staff and ethos is great. I love that you are trying to be as ‘open door’ as possible. I love the priorities placed on the truly important parts of child development.Â
*The way the teachers connect with the kids is remarkable! They truly care and show compassion. So much is required of them at home and at school and they always fulfill 50 different roles with grace and patience.
Patti is irreplaceable. She is so welcoming. Patti rarely gets an uninterrupted moment of time, yet completes an innumerable amount of tasks on a daily basis.
*It’s nice to see the old Amity coming alive again. Bingo, fare, auction, community times.
*The Amity Creek community is a terrific environment for kids to develop their interpersonal and social skills with each other.
*We are so happy with Amity! Watching my kids come out of their shells and learn so many new things has been amazing.
*I know every day that my daughter is so supported & cared for!Â
2) April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and also our time to fulfill our commitment to Erin’s Law. Please be sure you have plans to teach the lessons shared with you in March. If you need help or support, just reach out!
3) SIW this week is Teacher directed.
4) Student Success Meetings this Thursday! Prior to the break I sent you the link for the SSM Prep form. Please take time to fill the form out prior to the meetings this Thursday. Here’s the schedule (we’re doing 30 minute meetings this round):
8:30-9:00-Grade 3
9:00-9:30-Grade 2
10:00-10:30-K
10:30-11:00-Grade 1
12:00-12:30-Grade 4
12:30-1:00-Grade 5
5) Conversations are coming up next week. Be sure to reach out to parents first thing this week to get folks signed up. As we have done in the past, we’ll do Conversations on Wednesday and Thursday, and you need to make sure offer evening slots on at least one of the two days.
6) We spoke a while back about the theme for April being Stewardship and connecting it to Earth Day. I will follow up with another email sharing my thoughts.
7) New Buddies: K/4, 1/2, 3/5
8) As a big thank you for helping support the auction, FOA would like to provide lunch for the team this Friday. El Sancho! Come hungry.
9) Get it on your calendar–Staff Meeting on April 11 at 2:45pm.
Upcoming
April 6: Student Success Meetings
April 11: Staff Meeting, 2:45pm
April 12/13: Conversations
April 14: Day off!
April 20/21: Andy out, Brad here
Here’s to a great week ahead!
Andy