Dear MCDS Families,
"Come with rain, O loud Southwester! / Bring the singer, bring the nester; / Give the buried flower a dream; / Make the settled snowbank steam..." - Robert Frost
The above imperatives are the opening lines of Robert Frost's poem "To the Thawing Wind," whose narrator does more than welcome spring, but rather beckons it with urgency. While the arrival of spring is not quite so dramatic here in the Bay Area, I am ready to shake off the frost that has settled on my spirit these past few weeks. We've been through an incredibly difficult winter, and spring may not bring much relief, but we should embrace it nonetheless.
With that in mind, in this coming week I encourage you to take a breather--even if it's just a mental break, and even if just for minutes a day. I know spring break is not what any of us had hoped for, and that it might even be a greater challenge to have more time with your family after surviving weeks of social distancing. Yet, this is an historic time, and draws comparisons to the global crisis of WWII. It requires compassion, sacrifice, and a collaborative spirit from everyone. It's possible that our children will become the next "greatest generation" for having lived through COVID-19, when they cannot take things for granted, such as being able to play in parks or see their friends at school. It is not fair what they have to experience right now, but they're not alone, and they will develop resiliency and perspective. This is a big moment in history, and it's important to take the time to reflect on that and appreciate our part in bringing our children through it.
To model taking a break, I will not be writing daily evening updates next week. However, I will be working with the administration over the break to map out the next few weeks, ensuring that we have a thoughtful plan going forward. We will prepare for all potential scenarios for a return to campus in May or later if that is the case. If I have more to report on next week, I will be sure to keep you updated as needed.
And in case you missed this update, we will have a regular distance learning day on Monday, April 13. We will let you know as soon as we can about rescheduling Parent/Guardian - Teacher conferences.
So I hope you can take this coming week to appreciate spring, not only the natural beauty that is cropping up all around us, but also the optimism and energy that comes with more daylight hours. In the closing lines of Frost's poem, the narrator commands the wind to "Burst into my narrow stall; / Swing the picture on the wall...Scatter poems on the floor; / Turn the poet out of door."
Thus I will leave you, with a prayer that the spring will turn me and all of us out of door, leaving behind our screens and stress, even if for just minutes a day.
Warmly,
marin country day school 5221 Paradise Drive • Corte Madera CA • 94925 To unsubscribe from future emails, click here. |