February 1, 2021

Dear Families,

I write today with a few exciting updates from the school. This past weekend, we celebrated winter in a new way with our first ever "Fire and Ice" event on campus. It was a joyous (freezing!) night of fireworks, fire dancing, street hockey, Lux Truck food and drinks, friends and festivities. One of my colleagues said it best, "Who does fireworks in the snow?! WRA does!" It was wonderful to beat back the winter blues with a sky full of light and focus on fun and joy. Below, please enjoy some photos from our celebration.

We also have important updates to share on scheduling:

As you know, Mid-winter break begins this Saturday, Feb. 6, and continues through Tuesday, Feb. 9. Classes resume on the 10th. We hope this is restorative time for your hardworking Pioneers.
Additionally, we likely will cancel classes on Friday, Feb. 12. In line with the State of Ohio's commitment to vaccinating school personnel, the WRA faculty and staff community will have the option to receive vaccinations on the 12th. Anticipated schedule interruptions would prove formidable, and we felt it important to prioritize the health and wellness of our community with this concerted vaccination effort next Friday. We will confirm this date with certainty as soon as possible.
After Mid-winter break, your student's advisor will be in touch with you about scheduling a 20-minute virtual appointment to discuss your child's progress at this point in the year.

I close today with insights I found inspiring from a professor of psychology at UC Davis regarding joy and gratitude. "Like a microphone or amplifier, gratitude pumps up the volume on the good in our lives...whether stemming from our own internal thoughts or the daily news headlines, we are exposed to a constant drip of negativity...Gratitude is our best weapon, an ally to counter the internal and external threats that rob us from sustainable joy." As I look around our campus and consider our students, parents and community, I am deeply grateful. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership.

May warmth, optimism and joy come your way!