June 3, 2021
From the Head of School Finding Hope and Healing The end of a school year is always bittersweet, as friends part ways for summer camps, families go on vacation, and the buzz of campus life gives way to a quieter pace. This past year has challenged families in profound ways and yet it has also given us so much for which to be grateful. Crises reveal the true character of a community and this experience has shown Foote to be a school that cares for one another, confronts hard topics and empowers children to turn learning into action.
On Wednesday, I participated in a ceremony to lay a "witness stone" at the Pardee-Morris House in New Haven in memory of Pink Primus, a woman who was enslaved there in the 1800s. Our 7th graders undertook months of research and preparation under the guidance of Humanities teachers Sheila Lavey and Skye Lee, and presented their findings, reflections and original poetry at the ceremony.
It was a moving example of what Foote does best: shining a light in dark places and giving students the tools to understand the past and shape their future. I felt so proud of these compassionate and intelligent young adults. You can read more about the ceremony below and also in today's New Haven Register (paywall).
We have so much to look forward to, including end-of-year celebrations, a summer of play and a fall that should feel much less restrictive. The journey we have taken during this pandemic—the fires we have walked through—fill me with a range of emotions, but one of the strongest is hope. We are in a very different place than we were one year ago with regard to vaccines and seeing our loved ones. If anything, this past year has clarified our purpose and strengthened us for the journey ahead.
Wishing you a summer of inspiration and restoration.
Best,
Aléwa Cooper Head of School All School News Field Day is Tomorrow Field Day will take place tomorrow, Friday, June 4. At present, the forecast looks encouraging. In the event we need to postpone Field Day, we will have a regular school day (with a 2:15 p.m. dismissal) and Field Day will take place Monday, June 7.
Please note this is a student-only event this year. We'll be posting photos throughout the day on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #FooteFieldDay so parents can follow along!
Reminders:
All School News Collect Your Lost-and-Found Lost and found tables will be set up on Monday, June 7 on Loomis Place outside the Main Building. Parents are welcome to stop by anytime between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to look for missing belongings. Any items not claimed will be donated to a local nonprofit. Parent Reminder Return Your Library Books If you have library books at home, please return them before Wednesday, June 9. Collection boxes will be available at all drop-off locations between now and the end of school.
Questions? Contact Head Librarian Jennifer Friedman at jfriedman@footeschool.org. All School News Book Drive Ends Tomorrow The student-led Community Council is collecting gently used books for Horizons at Foote and New Haven Reads.
Please bring in books by tomorrow, Friday, June 4.
Books must be suitable for Grades K–8. Book boxes will be placed at all student drop-off locations each morning. Thank you for helping us share the joy of reading! Parent Meeting Families for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Thursday, June 3 4:00 p.m.
Families for DEI is a space where parents/guardians can share personal experiences and strategies for raising children in a multicultural world. Participants work in partnership with the Foote administration sharing feedback and input as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome any parents or caregivers of the Foote community. Parent Meeting Raising Anti-Racist White Children Monday, June 7 4:00 p.m.
This talk and discussion is open to all parents and guardians with a child who identifies as white. The group will focus on understanding and disrupting racism in ourselves, our families, and our community. Hosted by Foote parents Rob Hames, Meredith Mira and Bill Rankin. Video Year in Review Take a look back on a truly unique school year and see what students, faculty and staff did during the pandemic. Curriculum Close-Up Bearing Witness to Slavery On Wednesday, 7th graders led a ceremony to place a 'witness stone' at the Pardee-Morris House in New Haven for a woman named Pink Primus who was enslaved there in the 1800s. Modeled after the Stolperstein in Europe—stone cubes with the names and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination—the Guilford-based Witness Stone Project works with schools to place similar cubes at New England locations where individuals were enslaved.
This student project was three years in the making and featured 7th graders sharing research they did in partnership with New Haven Museum, as well as reflections and original poetry. State Rep. Pat Wilson Pheanious and Hartford poet laureate Frederick Douglass Knowles also spoke at the ceremony.
Read coverage of the event in today's New Haven Register (paywall) and look for a Foote podcast episode about the project next week. Music Thinking Creatively About Chorus Since Foote was unable to hold live performances this year, students in Chorus worked together to choose, record and produce music together virtually to express their feelings. Upcoming Events
6/4 6/9 6/10 6/10 Field Day Last Day of School - Grades K–9 8th Grade Celebration - 10 a.m. 9th Grade Graduation - 5 p.m. Quick Links |