Many parents are very concerned about their child’s safety during this pandemic, as they should be; however, they’re also having to weigh the social and emotional development impact of keeping their child at home, isolated, and the need to get work done.  This is a decision parents must make for themselves, doing what they think is best for their child and their overall family.  I have received many questions from parents about what VMS is doing to keep their child safe.  This blog entry is intended to provide you with that information, too.

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It’s such an odd feeling to go to school these days.  For 32 years, this building has been filled with children.  Laughing, crying, joyful, angry, challenged, proud, and every feeling in between as each child grew and learned.  Learned to take care of him- or herself, learned what it means to be a good friend, learned patience and responsibility, and yes, learned all those academic skills for which many parents seek us out.  This has been my experience entering this building for 27 years. 

But today, as I do a walk-through to make sure everything is OK, I realize that while the building and property are fine, it’s not really.  Everything is empty, quiet, cold - nothing is moving.  Sure, it’s like that during the Breaks, but there’s an end in sight, work is happening to keep us moving forward, knowing the children and their families will shortly return.  I reassure myself this can’t go on forever, the children will return soon… but not too soon, for their sake.  It doesn’t assuage the ache in my heart and, I know, the hearts of my staff.

All around me, Spring is here.  The flowering trees have graced us, the wildflowers and others are blooming. Everything that looked so dead over winter is back, carrying out their promise to return.  So we carry on: we keep the grass cut, beds weeded, enrollment packets have gone in the mail, plans for fall are under way.  We press on to that happy time when we can be together again.

The staff and students at Village Montessori School have been inspired to launch a fun community outreach effort.  While visiting Florida last spring, Ms Jacobi (Room 7 teacher), while taking a nature walk with her daughters, noticed some decorated rocks placed strategically on the path, ground, and in the trees. When she inquired of some local residents, she was told that all over town people were decorating rocks, writing motivational sayings on them, then hiding the rocks. The purpose was for other people around town to find the rocks then re-hide them in another location. It was a fun and simple way to spread hope, love, and cheer to the people around town and beyond.

At VMS, the older children have decorated rocks, added positive sayings, and have hidden a few around East Village and other parts of the community. What if, while you were out on your daily walk around the neighborhood, you came across a little nugget of inspiration?  If so, please take a photo and share it on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/vms20886 or search @vms20886 from your Facebook page. Feel free to move the rock to another location, just for fun! We are looking forward to seeing where our rocks travel. We hope these rocks bring a little cheer to Village residents and others.