Dear NHS Families and Friends,
It’s been a long and unusual year. I say unusual, because last summer when the faculty, staff, and I were planning for the 2020-2021 school year, we truly didn’t know if we would be opening the year in remote, hybrid, or in-person learning. Therefore, we planned for all 3 possibilities. As the school year progressed, we didn’t know from month to month if or when we might transitioning to hybrid, so we continued adjusting and improving our remote program, while at the same time planning and preparing more deeply for our hybrid program. When we finally re-opened in hybrid in April, we didn’t know if we would be able to finish the year in that model, or if we would be forced to transition back into remote.
We’re fortunate to have ended the year in hybrid, and we are now ready to transition to full time, in person learning, on campus learning 5 days per week! The faculty, staff, and I are happy about this and we’re looking forward to seeing your child back on campus this summer and/or next fall.
As we claim a victory over this truly unprecedented school year, I want to congratulate NHS students for all of their hard work and effort! They not only survived this year, but they thrived and learned this year. Around the world, many educators are reporting that their students regressed academically and socially. I can confidently say that NHS students did not regress in any way. Our students have passed all of their classes, earned good grades, progressed on their goals, and improved their academic and social skills. I’m very proud of their hard work.
We are here! We made it to the end of the school year! How many of us ordered Uber Eats or Amazon Fresh? Went for more than a year without seeing non-household members other than behind virtual screens? Learned new digital tools did we learn to use effectively this year? Purchased subscriptions to online TV channels that we had never previously heard of? Taught themselves a new language or a new skill?
NHS seniors who graduated on June 10th and who are ready to go on to a post-secondary program or join the workforce are joining an uncertain economy but a bright future. They are heroes because they persevered, worked hard, and never gave up. NHS teachers are heroes because they faced challenges and found new ways to build trust relationships and foster inquiry and growth. NHS parents are also heroes because they believe in their children and support both them and us every step of the way. Thank you to the heroes!
We shift into summer school and fall, with one foot in education as we knew it in the past, and with the other foot marching into education as we will reimagine it for the future. The NHS staff, faculty, and I will examine the tools we have learned to use over the past year, keep what worked, grow our skills, and use these tools as well as new tools this summer and next year.
Working with your children and knowing all of you is a gift, and we are happy to have your family joining us on this journey.
Summer school starts on July 6th, and Fall Semester starts on September 7th. We will keep you posted of any updates throughout the summer and you should receive your “Back to School Packet” in early August.
Have a wonderful break. Feel free to contact Judy, Vikki, or me with any questions.
jcolson@new-horizon-school.org
vcolson@new-horizon-school.org
Sincerely,
Marla
Marla Veliz
NHS Administrator