Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (April 8, 2013)

Greetings GreenMount Community,

            I believe that I said something about spring being here in the last head message.  I was correct technically, but we certainly did not have any weather that indicated the season.  And now it appears that we are preparing to jump right into summer.  Isn’t that just like Baltimore?  Tomorrow we may hit 80 degrees, which can be uncomfortable inside GreenMount.  Unlike a home HVAC system we just cannot change to air conditioning with the flip of a switch.  The city has to come out and reroute water and make some adjustments on the roof.  It’s a complicated process.  This means that we basically have to guess when to switch over, and given our temperamental weather, we are sure to have some days that are too hot or too cold.  So have your children dress so that they can add or subtract clothing as the day progresses.  We will survive as always.

            Attached to this newsletter is a notification of an exhibition by artist Timothy Horjus that will be presented at The Creative Alliance from March 9 to April 13.  The exhibition on the April 13 includes a dance performance by the Elm City Dance Collective and inspired by the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira.  This sounds like an interesting opportunity for families to enjoy a unique program together.  We also like to inform you of events at The Creative Alliance as we have toured their facility and have a relationship with the folks there.

Additionally, on the morning of April 15, the Elm City group will be performing here at GreenMount from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. We invite you to join us at that time for a free performance and a program that I know you will enjoy as you begin your week.

            This morning, as students came back to school, I saw lots of smiling faces.  The chatter and greetings reminded me of the unique nature of the children who attend GMS.  Basically, it boils down to the fact that our kids like being here.  This school is a big part of their lives and the happiness that shows as they return is evidence to me that school and learning is important to them.  And yes, friends are an important part of their feeling of belonging and satisfaction.  As long as we continue to have students learn to love learning, I will be satisfied as well.

            Among those returning today were the eighth graders who went to Costa Rica.  I haven’t heard all the details yet, but the students I talked with were more than happy with the experience.  I know what a great bonding opportunity this is for them and each has learned something about themselves that will give them confidence as they eventually face the world independently. The students will be presenting a program about their trip at Community Day on April 19.  Please make plans to attend so that you can understand why this program is so important for our students’ learning.

Cheers,

Steve

Weekly Message from Steve Warner, Head of School (October 8, 2012)

Greetings, GreenMount Community,

            Happy Columbus Day!  I hope that some of you are enjoying a day off and extending your weekend.  You may wonder why we are open for business as usual.  As a rule, most Maryland schools are open on Columbus Day and we have to think carefully about how our holidays are spaced so that we have nice winter and spring holidays.  Besides, Columbus did not discover America, and some history tells us he was not a very nice guy.  He was very tough on First Nations people, causing them great hardship and pain.  But, who knows?  These events happened long enough ago that information about that time may be very skewed.  Anyway, we are happily in school today, celebrating GreenMount Day, as we do every day.

            This morning was the first of our Monday coffee-and-donut get-togethers to benefit the 8^th grade trip to Costa Rica.  It was fun to see the students enthusiastically displaying their salesmanship and interacting with parents who stopped in to enjoy a little break before going to work or back home to watch TV specials about Columbus.  This activity reminded me once again of the great community we have here at GreenMount and parents who are constantly modeling the sense of community that is very unique at our school.  Thanks to parents Reid Blank and Sue McClure who worked with Ms. Tonette to get this idea off the ground.

            The coffee was welcomed this morning as we experienced some of our first chilly air.  Soon, we will be shivering under what is projected to be a very cold winter.  Keep in mind what I explained about closings in last week’s bulletin.  For now, however, we will try to survive the change of the season by remembering a few details.  First, there are going to be days when it is cool in the building.  This is because we have to do our annual balancing act of deciding when to switch from air conditioning to heat.  One would think that today is the perfect time.  But history tells us that we will have some warm days (even hot) yet.  Because our building has no windows that open, we are at the mercy of our HVAC system.  We are also at the mercy of the city from whom we rent our building.  They actually have a date on which all city buildings are switched over from one system to the other.  And we cannot simply adjust our thermostat like at home.  There is a complicated process of diverting water from the condensers on the roof to the boiler in the mechanical room.

Is this narrative exciting yet?  The bottom line is that until we can see a steady need for heat we are going to endure some cool school conditions.  Please send sweaters and sweatshirts with your child each morning throughout the fall and winter months so that they can adjust to cooler or warmer conditions.  If you don’t have a sweatshirt or sweater, just go to the lost-and-found table in the gated area.  There are plenty there!

Cheers,

Steve