By: William “Buzz” Lance, Head of School
Everyone’s excited to be back on campus, and our first couple weeks of school have gone very well.
One thing that has become tangibly apparent: our school is growing! Of course, we’re excited about this growth — even though it requires some stretching — and we look forward to navigating future challenges. Healthy things grow, so here are some strategies for making the most out of how things are changing on campus:
Drop-off and Pick-up
With 50 extra students this year, the drop-off/pick-up process now takes a little longer than it used to, and we’re working on ways to smooth this out. It’s a great problem to have, so I’m instituting a new policy: If you are picking up only from middle school or high school, you may park in the parking lot and let your student(s) come to your vehicle.
As we come up with more creative solutions for these processes, we recommend that you allow yourself just a little more time for getting your children to and from school.
New Playground
We look forward to the new playground’s official opening as we put the finishing touches on it. As we expand in this way, our kids are enjoying the growth from last year: the new courtyard. To be involved in projects like our new playground, we highly encourage you to join the Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF). The last Thursday of every month, the PTF meets at 5:30 p.m. in our gymnatorium.
Athletic Events
Our first home volleyball game was a sell-out, completely packed with families and fans! With athletics being so heavily attended, we recommend that parents arrive early to secure seating at the games.
On that note, our Booster Club is one of the parties figuring out how to expand seating in the gym. If you’d like to be a part of the expansion process, please consider joining the Booster Club or donating on the Give Now page on our website. There you can designate a secure gift to our annual fund, PTF, or Booster Club.
Blackbaud
Our new student management system, Blackbaud, will help us better serve all of our families. For those of us used to the old operating system, this growth has come with hiccups. Nevertheless, we applaud everyone for their gracious understanding as we make the switch.
Science Lab
As we grow, we need more physical spaces for our students to learn and explore. That’s why we’re excited to be partnering with The Learning Campus at Gulf State Park. Their immersive programming and hands-on experiences include a science lab. Our middle school and high school students get to visit the lab every Wednesday.
All growth comes with a few growing pains, but we’re excited that our students and families are growing with us!
