Dear Gardner School Community,

This month’s Board of Trustees meeting was a balance of appreciation and celebration, particularly as we said goodbye to two long standing members of our Board of Trustees. Over their respective tenures on our Board, Kevin Fischer and Denise Case have played a plethora of roles that have allowed the Gardner School to be the thriving community it is today. From serving on and leading committees to taking leadership roles on our Board, Kevin and Denise have collectively guided Gardner’s growth, ensured the school’s financial stability and compliance with regional and state laws, contributed to school events, have worked to keep Gardner open through the pandemic, and have brought good humor and compassion to our community. They also are parents (Julie ‘21) who have often celebrated their daughter’s growth, increased confidence, and support from Gardner’s incredible teachers. Kevin and Denise, we marvel at all you have done to make Gardner a place where every child can thrive.

Board Updates

• New Board Member: This month we welcomed a new Board member: Peter Bryant. Peter Bryant is a Gardner parent (Ellamae and Sullivan), and is the Environmental Monitoring Coordinator for the city of Portland. With his background, experience, and love for the school, Peter will be an excellent addition to our board, and specifically to our finance and facilities committees.

• Teacher Compensation: Head of School Emily Davis shared that because of the additional revenue generated from summer camps and from the Gardner Gala, the school is able to offer teachers a 7% raise next school year. In the coming year, the board and Head of School will continue to explore compensation models that will focus on retention and support of Gardner’s staff.

• Investment Policy: Because of the Gardner School’s financial position, the school will be creating an investment account and investment policy. This policy will be developed by the finance committee with Board input, and we’ll be voting on this policy in the coming months. 

• Board, Board Chair, Head of School Evaluation: Each year, the Board of Trustees evaluates the Head of School in relation to the charge the Board and Head agree upon in the fall. This year, the board returned to its practice of completing a self-evaluation alongside evaluating the Board Chair’s leadership. Lori shared the high-level results at the Board of Trustee meeting, including areas of success and focus areas for the year ahead. Successes this year included establishing a committee structure, achieving NWAIS candidacy, and marked progress on needed facilities improvements. As we look to the year ahead, we’ll be embarking on strategic planning, growing our committees, and taking the next steps towards NWAIS accreditation.

Recruiting Trustees for Fall 2022

Our Board of Trustees is actively recruiting for its committees and for trustees for the 2022-23 school year. If you would like to give back to this community in ways that are inspiring and fulfilling, and if you like to work alongside dedicated and generous people who love the Gardner School, consider joining us. You’ll have an opportunity to-

• support this incredible school

• gain a deep understanding about how nonprofit organizations and independent school boards work

• receive skills and organizational tools for effective agenda design and meeting facilitation

• develop leadership skills and habits that are transferable to your jobs

• work with people from a range of professions and backgrounds, people you may not get to meet in your current roles. 

Please email Head of School, Emily Davis (edavis@gardnerschool.org) and Board Chair, Lori Cohen (boardchair@gardnerschool.org). We’d love for you to take part in keeping Gardner a special place where every child knows they belong.

Thank you,

Lori Cohen, Board Chair

Anamaria Bambaren Call, Vice Chair

Paula Savage, Secretary

Aaron Christian, Treasurer

Kevin Fischer, Trustee

Denise Case, Trustee

Saumya Kumar, Trustee

Brynnen Guthrie, Trustee

Juna Kim McDaid, Trustee

Sarah Grenert-Funk, Trustee

Gardner Market is just two weeks away on June 3rd at 1:30 pm, and we know many families are already working on building up their supply of projects to sell on Friday June 3rd. This is also a good time to have a chat with your child about how much they should be charging for their products. While many students have already made decisions on what to charge, they are welcome to make changes to the price of their products throughout the market.

Family are encouraged to attend and shop at our Gardner Market! Many fantastic products have been created by our students, and it's a wonderful way to see our whole community together.

Pricing and Purchasing
Payment Process

Our student population is limited to $15 (please send the money in $1 bills) per student for money to bring to the market. Please make sure your child's money is in a secure place and clearly labeled. Children will be in charge of their own purchases and tracking of spending while at the market. 

More Helpers
Volunteers Needed!

There are many ways to help out at the market, from set up, to student support, to tear down. We need more volunteers to help it run, and you can find the sign up link here.

Vendor Booth Details
Your Child's Booth Should Include:

1. An Open and Closed sign. Students like to "close" their booth for a short time to do their own shopping! 

2. A sign clearly advertising their product and the cost of their items.

3. If selling a food idea, clear packaging with allergens listed.

4. All money handling teaching and store "cash register" will be set up with the support of teachers.

They're ready to perform!

Campus snapshots