I thought that I would share with you today the letter I sent home with our students the first day of school.

It summarizes many of my thoughts as I contemplate the new school year.

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the start of the 2021-22 school year. I know that we have all faced many challenges over the past months and appreciate all that you are doing to ensure the health and safety of your child. I am very pleased and proud to say that our experience with COVID-19 last year was very, very limited. I attribute this to our very extensive health and safety precautions. Due to the “high” level of COVID-19 currently in our community, we are continuing the same procedures as last year: masking indoors and outdoors, temperature taking, and social distancing with students remaining in their “cohort” or classroom throughout the day. Please see our Health and Safety Plan: https://www.barberinstitute.org/children/elizabeth-lee-black-school. If your child can be vaccinated, I strongly encourage you to do so.

As I think about the first day of school, I look back to 1952 when Dr. Barber and her volunteers first opened their classroom for children with disabilities. Since then, generations of children have gone from counting blocks to employment in a diversity of fields. A lot has changed in those 70 years, but what has remained constant is our dedication to children and families.

We are educators, therapists, caregivers committed to instilling in our students a love of learning. This is our mission for the last 70 years and for the next 70 years. Thank you for allowing us to become a part of your family as your child’s teachers.

I’m looking forward to the start of another year of learning and growing.  I know that it will be an outstanding year for our students, families and staff.

My best!

Maureen