written by David Núñez, Interim Head of School

Dear GRS Community,

December was a short month with a long break here at Great River. I wish you all a wonderful break and hope that you all got to spend some time together and celebrate in whatever way you and yours might celebrate!

Winter Break also means that we are getting close to the mid-year point as a school. The semester ends on January 27th and so winter break is also a great time to check in with your student, particularly if they are in the adolescent program, and make sure they are on-track and getting all their work done. If you’re concerned, reach out to their guide after break and help your student make a plan with them to get on-track!

Looking back at the year so far, one of the biggest challenges the field of education is facing right now, and we are no exception, is in staffing. We have several full time positions open at Great River, but even more so we are looking for substitutes. Those in the community who might be interested, or know someone who might be interested, should reach out to Maiya Yang, our HR Manager, and we can help you with the process.

Also 2022 we have been focused on recovery from the pandemic as a community. This means social emotional recovery and academic recovery. We spent a lot of time last year learning how to be together again in community and while we made a lot of progress we’re still doing that work everyday. In the area of academic recovery specifically, we are running programs such as our after school homework help and have invested in the hiring of a new reading interventionist at Great River this year. While I know that recovering from this pandemic is going to take some real time, I also believe that we are making great strides with students every day.

Finally, if you did not know, we are deep in initial union negotiations here at Great River. And while the process is a slow one, I am also delighted to report from my perspective that it has been a positive one. We are working together on this first collective bargaining agreement Great River has ever had, and I remain truly hopeful that this document will bring about positive change for all of us.

Have a delightful break, Great River students, staff, and families!

Peace,

David