All in this together
a message from Deb Green, Executive Director
October is here and that alone brings me great joy. COVID-19 has brought us so much loss, so many changes, and so many unknowns. With all the changes, it is good to see that the seasons continue on as they always have.
With October comes the fall, cooler weather, and children who have now adjusted to new classrooms, new teachers, and new routines. The cycle continues year after year and this year in particular, the predictability is so comforting.
Life during COVID comes with unique stressors that everyone is experiencing. Our Board of Directors is working to provide oversight in financial management, and has put into motion sub-committees that continue to work on health and safety protocols, as well the development of new programs to meet community needs.
Our administrative team is looking for new ways to build classroom communities without class potlucks, manage new enrollment without in-person tours with a look into classrooms, raise much-needed funding (ArtStart won't be in the chapel this year), and engaging in a myriad of other activities in ways we never imagined.
Our teachers provide the level of care and education to children that has always been their expertise, and now have added a million new cleaning and classroom regiments to ensure best practices around health and safety.
Our families are placing the highest possible level of trust in PIC as they leave their children at classroom doors or outside of our buildings.
We know we all need to be thinking outside the box in creating new virtual communication tools. PIC will soon offer virtual tours for prospective families. We are hosting back-to-school Zoom nights for families to hear from their teachers about the year ahead. We are reimagining our Coffee and Conversation series into a Connections and Conversation series for the months ahead. We will hold our beloved ArtStart fundraiser virtually this year (keep your eye out for more info).
My own PIC focus is fairly singular. I am doing everything I can to keep PIC open. It means seeking outside funding so that we remain solvent in a time of decreased enrollment and tuition revenue. It means we remain vigilant about health and safety protocols at all times for children, staff and families (COVID fatigue is a real thing). And it means being incredibly grateful each day that another day has gone by and we are still thriving.
The work seems endless. And yet the rewards are huge. I watch children happily arrive at PIC each day who race to greet their teachers with hugs or stories. And watch them at the end of each day again race into the arms of their parents. Continual reminders that some things will continue as they should and that we truly are all in this together.
Thank you for believing in PIC.