From our Board of Directors
April 3, 2020
Hello Bellwether Community,
As we wrap up our third week of distance learning and being home with our kids, the Board wanted to reach out to you to send some love your way. There are so many layers of stress in our worlds right now, from the simple tasks of everyday life, to the complex tasks of being pulled between work and parenting, and to the greater worries about the health and wellbeing of our loved ones and our communities. If you are leaving home each day to go to work, it is hard; if you are home with your kids all day long, it is hard; and if you are juggling the pressures of working while parenting, it is hard. You are doing superhuman things each day. These are trying times, and we want to thank you for finding ways to rally in these times of stress and your understanding as to why our school and eventually all the schools in Vermont had to close.
We know it is tough right now. We also know that the community that we have built in the halls of Bellwether has continued to the virtual worlds that we are all building together now. From contributions to our Facebook groups to bleary-eyed Zoom classroom calls with large cups of coffee in our hands, we are all finding ways to keep the essence of our little school thriving. Our hardworking teachers are shifting gears on a dime to navigate new ways of teaching and connecting with you and your students.
Lindsey D. is working tirelessly to support you, your students, and our amazing staff in keeping our educational experience a thriving one. Alongside her, we the Board of Directors, are supporting the school and finding new ways to problem-solve how this shift has impacted our community. As you all know, there is so much unknown in how long our current situation will last and that affects so much of how any of us might plan. But the Board is planning for the future as best we can, and as the situation pivots, we will pivot with it. As soon as we know something new and concrete, we will share it with you.
With every step of the way, the Board, Lindsey, and the staff at school have your children and you in the forefront of our decision making. We know this is a struggle, but you are not alone in this. When we all walked through the doors of the school, it wasn’t just our children that were accepted into the community, we as parents were accepted too. If you need an adult conversation, a quick message from another parent, or a text message of encouragement, you can find that here if you need it. Reach out to another parent you know, or reach out to all the parents and staff in the Facebook group.
Please know that even in these trying times, we are all working together to make Bellwether that same place of community and education throughout this process, and one day it will thrive once more in the halls and classrooms when the building is open once again.
Sincerely,
Your Board of Directors:
Morgan Donohue, President
Jen Winegar, Treasurer
Jessica Liggett, Secretary
Bethany Gibbs
Marta Beede
Jenn Lauder, Adjunct Board Member
Angie King, Staff Liaison
Lindsey Desrochers, Head of School