Dear Parents & Guardians,

Greetings from Orchard School! We hope your summer is going well. We've got a lot going on getting ready for the start of school (you've got to break some eggs to make a cake). Last summer we realized that it was a good idea to start sending out a couple of summer newsletters ... so welcome back!

Have you seen our superintendent's emails? David Young sent out an important one yesterday, it's attached here below for anyone who missed it. Here are some important takeaways from it.

Masks - I think we are all aware now that students and staff will be wearing masks. I highly recommend, especially for our younger students, to start practicing masks whenever out in public. Our students did a phenomenal job last year masking up and we want to start again with the same positive energy. Students will not have to wear masks at recess!

Limiting Access - As the superintendent indicated, parents, mentors, and volunteers will not be able to access the building until further notice. Because of this, our Monday Morning Open House is canceled. Our first day of school is Tuesday, August 24th.

Busses - Busses will be available for everyone. For parents who might be uncomfortable accessing the school bus, we are creating alternative transportation plans. Please see the survey below.

Getting Ready for School - (1) start practicing wearing masks again, (2) find a good water bottle (I'm guessing we'll be closing down our taps and have filling stations like last year) and label it, (3) take the survey below if you want to transport your child yourself, and (4) enjoy these last few precious days of summer!

Plans are still in the works but will be shared next week. I completely get how disappointing it can be to be reading some of these restrictions but I sincerely believe we are getting ready for an awesome school year!

Have a good week, take some time to read with your child.

Mark Trifilio

Our plan is to provide an alternative plan for parents who prefer for their children not to ride the bus daily. We are starting the year with one alternative drop-off/pick-up site - it will be at the tent site (aka "teardrop").

If you would like to try alternative transportation (AT), please complete this brief survey: https://forms.gle/YRpsk5U2ZCcziotL6

The tent is meant as a long-term commitment, it's not intended for a daily change.