As we speak to friends across the country whose children have lost focus, who have stalled or even reversed in their academic progress, who have become more anxious, we see our own children thriving. This was no lost year for Community School students, thanks to the tremendous work done by our teachers and staff. They have been compassionate, patient, wise, and strong, creative and nurturing . They have redesigned classrooms, changed curriculum on the fly, adjusted to teaching some kids in the room and some on a screen simultaneously, and done hundreds of other things that we can’t see. They have done a remarkable job individually and collectively to lift up one another and our families and, most importantly out students. And they have done it with grace and love.

Our theme for 2020 and 2021 was Stay Rooted, Branch Out. This year required that we trust our traditions to guide us through the uncertain days ahead. We looked to our roots to sustain us, hold us in place and to remind us of where we came from. We kept our students at the center of the learning process and focused on the whole child. We created a safe space for them.