Last week we reinstated our weekly social and emotional learning session at Kent through a school-wide Advisory activity on Friday. This lesson focused on the concept of "spring cleaning," both literally and figuratively. At this point of transition in the seasons, but also in the trajectory of our global pandemic, we asked students to consider, from all of your experiences over the past 13 months what are you ready to leave behind, and what are you ready to carry forward?

Students had some silly, some practical, and some profound reflections about this prompt. As we all consider what we’ve learned from the past 13 months and commit to improved life, health, and education on the other end; I’m thankful to our counseling team and our teachers for providing the space for self-reflection, self-analysis, and self-awareness, in addition to our regular academic focus. Students can expect an Advisory Session to replace Study Session every Friday for the rest of the year, where we will continue to create space for social connection, relationship skills, and self-reflection.

We considered the same prompt as an introduction to the Kent Principal Chat last Friday morning, and participants had equally fascinating reflections as our students. If you were unable to attend last week’s Principal Chat, you can access the recording of the presentation here. Topics discussed included an update on learning conditions at Kent, a preview into our Spring assessment MAP Growth, and end of year activities such as 8th Grade Graduation and Step Up Day.

In conclusion, in honor of National Volunteer Week, I would like to publicly appreciate the many parent volunteers who have stepped up to support school operations at Kent. From checking in students in the morning, to traffic management, to distributing school lunches, to supervising playgrounds...our parent volunteers have truly made a difference in the safety, wellness, and smooth operations of our school. If you’d like to jump into one of these volunteer roles, please contact Katherine O’Brien (katobrien22@gmail.com). Our students, staff, and community thanks you!

Be well,