From the Head
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From the Head of School:
Dear Parents,
We are in the stretch run of the school year – with fewer than five weeks remaining. We are proud of the amazing growth of the children in all of the CDS classrooms. The teachers are poised to finish as strong as they started. I am already hearing teachers lament that they cannot keep their current students for another year.
In addition to some fabulous teachers who CDS is adding to its roster for next school year, we are pleased to announce that Rebecca Berlin will join the administration and assist in a variety of areas including admissions, teacher mentoring, and finances. Rebecca currently is a Vice President at Casenex Education Company. She graduated summa cum laude from graduate programs in early childhood education and leadership at both George Washington University and the University of Virginia , where she earned her PhD. She received her B.A. from Georgetown University where (surprise!) she graduated Cum Laude. Rebecca was an original member of the CDS Advisory Committee and has served on the CDS Board of Directors. Rebecca's two children – Samantha (rising 2-year-old-class) and Thomas (rising First Grader) will both be at CDS next year.
We are flattered that all of our teachers – except Patty Kohstall who is continuing her graduate studies – have expressed their desire to return next year. I hope it is not presumptuous of me to conclude that we are succeeding in our goal to make this a great place to teach! In any event, we are blessed to have this continuity and flow from year to year. We are proud to announce that Mira Cole's mother, Townley, is joining our preschool team and might be in the room where Mira taught her first group at CDS. I love that! Townley's reputation among educators is incredible. Her experiences as a teacher and a school founder in California make her a perfect fit for CDS.
On April 27, we concluded our Earth Week celebration with an outdoor display of the kids' physical fitness, self-confidence, and sportsmanship. Nearly two hundred members of our community gathered at beautiful Panorama Farms for a few hours of fun. The event was lead by volunteers Lance Weisend, Allie Craytor, and Jen Faulconer. Please thank them when you see them in the halls. We are grateful for the Murray family's choice to allow our school to use their incredible farm and for their invitation to do it again next year. Finally, we are fortunate to have the support of the generous corporate sponsors of this event including lead sponsors CitiGroup Smith Barney ($2,000), Lee Insurance ($2,500), Petit Bebe ($2,000) and Southern Health ($500). Thanks to all of the sponsors and participants, CDS raised approximately $7,000 in the process of having an enriching Sunday afternoon for our kids. The Family Fitness Fair adds to the series of great traditions at this infant school.
We are continuing the age-old private school tradition of parental questions about next year's teachers and classrooms. While we cannot yet provide you with the name of your child's teacher for next year, we can assure you that we have an incredible faculty made-up of returning teachers and additions we hired to accommodate our growth. Once again, CDS's enrollment will grow from year-to-year and we will be ahead of our original 4 year projects/visions. More specifically, we expect to have approximately 150 children with our elementary enrollment growing beyond this year's. We have healthy waiting lists in the preschool but have a few remaining elementary spots. This positions us for another stellar year and allows us to hire additional help.
Coming Events:
May 21 st is our Art Show and Rats Play at Fry's Springs Beach Club (near Fontaine and JPA). This event is from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. More information will come in an email soon.
June 4 th is our last day of school and Step Up Ceremony. Step Up begins at 10:00 AM. School will dismiss at noon. Parents and Grandparents are highly encouraged to attend this special day for the kids. Every child is expected to attend school on the day of Step Up.
Thanks for all of the parent support.
With Love,
Stacey Bruns
Newsletter Sponsored by:
May 2008
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