Greetings from Julie Craven: August 21, 2018

Greetings from Julie Craven: August 21, 2018
Posted on 08/21/2018
Dear RAUC Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you relaxed and enjoying the summer with family and friends. One aspect of a school community that I appreciate is how we separate in the summers and return each September to weave our individual stories back into the communal narrative. I spent July in India with a group of educators studying the principle of ahimsa, or non-violence, through a program run by the International School for Jain Studies. We had the opportunity to visit a number of schools which inspired us with their morning routines of communal yoga and their explicit focus on compassion, empathy, community activism and anti-materialism. Seeds were planted as I saw the parallels to our own core values work and to district initiatives on mindfulness practices. And of course I always welcome the opportunity to experience the ways other cultures engage in the universal human activities that bind us together: eating, caring for family and friends, learning and playing. Another central Jain principle resonated for me as I explored so much that was new, the idea of anekant, or the existence of multiple truths. I return with gratitude for my opportunity and with much to reflect upon. I look forward to hearing about student and family summers when we reconnect.  

The transition back to school can be both exciting and anxiety producing. To help you and your student feel prepared for the first day on Tuesday, September 4th, this August newsletter features information and links, including: schedule information; grade level supply lists; reminders of summer math and reading work; a sneak peak of the first week of school; a list of RAUC dates; and links to district policies and forms. For those of you new to RAUC, you can expect a weekly RAUC newsletter once school starts to keep you informed and connected.

I invite you to reconnect before school starts by coming to our Welcome Back Pot-luck Picnic on Wednesday, August 29 at 5PM at the front of the school. Please bring a dish to share. This potluck picnic is a wonderful RAUC tradition, a time to say hi to familiar folks as well as meet new members of the community. The main goal is to relax together, but there will also be information available in different forms:
  • Our Middle School Network community partners will be there with information about school year activities for students;
  • Our wonderful Families of RAUC (FRAUC) officers will have information about FRAUC and how to get involved;
  • Our new Family Partnership Coordinator, Taraneh Ahmadi will be there to meet people;
  • At 5:30PM we will give a tour of the school for new families.
Enjoy the rest of your summer. And know that the entire RAUC staff will be ready when students return, excited about another year of working together to Reflect, Aim high, seek Unity, and have Compassion!

Best,

Julie Craven
Head of School

PS: Please note that for this Welcome Back Newsletter, I have chosen to translate it into the dominant languages of our richly diverse community: Haitian Creole, French, Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, and Chinese. Apologies if the language of your home is not included here. Please reach out to the school if you would like assistance in reading the documents. While I cannot translate every communication that comes out from the school, I wanted to launch our reconnection as a school community by reaching out in multiple languages. Independent of one’s English abilities, sometimes it is simply nice to read in the language one grew up with. See translations here >>
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