March 31, 2020
Dear Students and Families,
I hope you are healthy, safe, and with loved ones. I miss seeing our students, staff and families. Learning to work from home is a stretch for me on many levels, and I can only begin to imagine the challenges families are facing in learning to support their student’s academic growth and emotional safety while working, managing financial stresses, worrying about neighbors and feelings of isolation.
I have always believed parents are their child’s first teachers. Know that you are not alone. The actions and levels of care our teachers and support staff have displayed in recent days continue to humble and marvel me. Our team distributed more than 300 Chromebooks and learning tools to students in grades K-6 and the Life Skills class last week. Teachers shifted from providing online resources to review and refresh previously taught learning objectives to developing and rolling out remote learning resources within a week. Paraeducators are staying connected with students and families, especially those in our intensive support classes. The office staff continues to be the backbone of the schoolhouse, and there are no words to describe the exhaustive work of our custodians.
Families have always played active roles in the education of their students and their students’ classmates through our parent cooperative program. Our staff remains committed to learning and teaching together during the school closure. Your grace and patience are deeply appreciated as we are doing our best to adapt to a new way of delivering instruction. Please feel most welcome in contacting me with any questions, celebrations, and suggestions.
Michelle Jacobs Mathis
Principal
Maplewood Parent Cooperative