Dear Parents and Caregivers,
I have had a “first day of school” since August of 1986; my first days have changed from being a shy and nervous kindergartner to an overly confident college freshman to an excited first-year teacher to now a divisional leader. No matter the role (or the backpack!), I feel the positive energy and unflappable optimism of a new school year: classrooms filled with the sounds of moving furniture, grade-level conversations about curricula and field trips, teachers writing student names in anticipation of meeting them, and the happy chatter of educators back in the school building. It is good to be back together doing what we love — getting ready for you and your children to return to school!
Welcome to Wellington and Welcome Back to Wellington provide an opportunity for all new and returning students to visit their classrooms, meet their teachers, and connect with other students.New families will join us on August 18, at 2 p.m., for the Welcome to Wellington event in the Gard Gym, and returning families will join us on August 18, at 3 p.m., by heading directly to their homerooms. Please ensure you arrive at the correct time to allow each group time and space to explore classrooms and say hello to teachers.
Mark your calendar for parent coffees during the opening days. The coffees are an opportunity to connect with other families at Wellington, ask questions, and learn more about Wellington's routines. Please note the day/time for the parent coffees below. RSVPs are not needed, and we welcome anyone who can join us for even five minutes to the full 45 minutes of sharing and connecting.
- Early Childhood (Little Jags, prekindergarten, and kindergarten) Parent Coffee will be on August 22 after drop-off until 9 a.m. in the Doerschlag Den.
- Lower School (grades 1 – 4) Parent Coffee will be on August 27 after drop-off until 9 a.m. in the Doerschlag Den.
We invite and encourage all parents to participate in intake conferences on Monday, August 19, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Intake conferences are designed for teachers to listen to the information parents share about their child(ren) prior to the start of school. It is a very effective way to begin a strong relationship with teachers while also sharing anything that might be helpful for us to know before school starts. Parents can schedule an intake conference from the Veracross Parent Portal by clicking the orange Sign-In for Intake Conferences button at the top right of the window. The sign-up link will close this Friday at noon.
Having three children of my own, I know the range of emotions that children might be feeling on a given day (or a given moment of the day!) about the first day of school. To help ease the transition, I recorded a short bedtime story that could be helpful for your child to see a familiar face from Wellington. I especially love the story because it leans into one of Wellington’s values — curiosity! Feel free to click this link to take you to a video of the story “The Girl with Big, Big Questions” by Britney Winn Lee and illustrated by Jacob Souva.
In addition to Veracross, our Back to School Resources contain essential information, including Beyond the Bell programming, key contacts, and all the steps you need to complete by August 16. Please let us know if we can assist with any aspect of the transition to the new school year. We’d be happy to help. We’re ready for an exceptional new year to begin on August 21 — we hope you are, too!
Best,
Shelley Brown
Head of Early Childhood and Lower School