Dear Gardner School Community,

We hope your February long weekend allowed you time to rest and recharge.

This month’s Board of Trustees meeting included a milestone moment in the Gardner School’s history: our first successful financial audit. Thanks to the leadership of Sheila FitzPatrick, Director of Business Operations, and our school’s finance committee, our audit process went smoothly and successfully, which allows our school to move forward in its candidacy process towards NWAIS accreditation. 

Our school’s re-enrollment is also looking strong for the year ahead, as Head of School, Emily Davis, shared the exciting news about our high re-enrollment numbers for the coming year. Assistant Head of School, Courtney Tomlinson, has made both the admissions and re-enrollment processes seamless and successful, as we make plans to welcome new and returning families for the 2022-23 school year.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee, led by trustee, Juna Kim McDaid, guided our Board through a lexicon of terms that provide us a shared vocabulary when discussing all manner of topics related to conversations and decisions that ensure every student receives what they need to thrive at Gardner. The board voted and unanimously approved this lexicon.

The Facilities Committee, led by trustee Kevin Fischer, has moved forward on a range of facilities deferred maintenance projects that support the long-term sustainability of Gardner’s campus, including critical updates to the farmhouse and main buildings. The Board has voted to increase Board Designated Funds to support these projects.

Finally, our Development Committee, led by trustee Anamaria Bambaren Call, has been assiduously planning our Gardner Gala, Beneath the Stars, which takes place on April 23rd. This is an evening of celebration that includes special open-choice activity sessions run by the Gardner School’s incredible teachers, a student art auction, and paddle-raise. Delicious appetizers, beautiful desserts, and drinks will also be provided. We hope to celebrate in community and toast in-person with you all.

Our Board of Trustees is actively recruiting for its committees and for its Board. 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, 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

As anticipated, last week Governor Inslee announced changes to the masking requirements statewide, including for school settings. Statewide, indoor masking will stop being required as of March 21st, and more specific school guidance will be released on March 7th. Our team is prepared to shift, but in the words of the Governor, we will proceed with "caution, compassion, and kindness," knowing that families and individuals may have different feelings about this news. The high vaccinations rates of our eligible student population (nearly 80%), and 100% vaccination rate for our staff allows us to feel confident moving forward with these changes. 

Our school community has done an amazing job with following protective measures throughout the pandemic, and we know our combined efforts have allowed our students to remain in-person, learning and connecting with peers, for the vast majority of the time since September 2020. The guidelines are changing, but with cases going down in the greater community, our school will continue to be a safe place for children to learn. As always, we are here to support families in this process. Any questions can be shared with Courtney Tomlinson at ctomlinson@gardnerschool.org.

Masking News
Important Dates

Starting on March 7th, masks will be optional outside on campus. This includes outdoor recess and outdoor class times. Starting on March 21st, masks will be optional indoors as well. 

If you prefer for your child to continue masking in either of these spaces, please communicate that to your child and their homeroom teacher. Our staff will continue to support your child in safe mask wearing .

Health Screening
Family Responsibility

One of the most important protective measures we have implemented throughout the pandemic is health screening. Our school depends on parents to monitor their child's health and to keep them out of school if any symptoms arise. 

Families are still asked to share any symptoms with health@gardnerschool.org, and to be prepared to keep their child home and test them for Covid-19 as needed.
 

Community Connection

Campus snapshots