Hello Overfield Families,

I hope you all enjoyed a restful week of Spring Break, and were able to find moments of peace and beauty in the midst of the challenges we are all navigating.

Today marked the first day of this second phase of distance learning. Everyone should have received information by email from your classroom teachers about the structure and frequency of interactions for your child’s age group. Please don’t hesitate to contact your classroom teachers by email if you have any questions about this. We hope these daily interactions will support your child’s learning, though we all miss the depth and warmth of learning in person together.

We still hope to be able to be back together at school on May 4th, though this will largely be determined by the decisions our Governor makes in the next couple of weeks. We will update you as soon as we have any new information. Thank you, again, for being patient and flexible with this situation.

In keeping with the format of the last few weeks, I will again share with you a thought from Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. He said, “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.”

Our hope is that the daily offerings we present to you during this time serve as a resource for your children, so that their experiences may be rich. However, we know that everyone is in a different position with their home-work life balance, their emotional availability, and the external demands they may be dealing with right now. So, be gentle with yourselves above all, and know that doing your best for your child–whatever that looks like right now–is enough. Please feel free to reach out at any time, and be well! Best wishes, Beth Poronsky – Overfield Program Lead

*IMPORTANT SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION UPDATE*

We are still hoping to be able to offer in-person summer camp this June and July. However, we know that conditions with COVID-19 are ever-changing, and this may not be a possibility. We have made the following decisions regarding Summer Camp 2020:

Registration will still open, online only, on Monday, April 20.
There will be NO MONEY DUE AT REGISTRATION; all fees will be due by June 1st.
We will make a final determination on the viability of in-person summer camp by June 1st at the latest.

Please email office@overfield.org if you have any questions. Thank you!

Nature News

The weather proverb “April Showers Bring May Flowers” first appeared in literature almost 500 years ago. It was brought to my ears as a young child by my mother. I am sure she said it to me on a gray, rainy day, feeling trapped inside the house (some of us may relate to this right now). Fast forward a century, I realize the proverb is meant for us to be patient; flowers will follow. Nowadays, I look forward to spring rain–the smell, the feel, the sound and taste of it. I love the fact that it heralds green grass, helps wake up the meadows, woodlands, and yes, “May Flowers!”

I feel our Overfield families are working hard at social distancing, protecting others and ourselves from a world-altering pandemic. This self-cloistering behavior can prompt other conditions, such as “Addictive Binge Watching” and the dreaded malaise commonly referred to as “Cabin Fever.” Thankfully there is a remedy for the above ailments: the great outdoors! Many of us have already felt the instant relief when spending time in our yards, walking around the block, or taking long hikes at county parks or preserves. Because our parks are experiencing a renaissance, with an influx of humans and their four-legged friends, some of our most popular parks have been forced to close. We have many wonderful parks in our area bursting with new life, both flora and fauna. I encourage all of you to visit them. Take photos, and share your experiences with all of us.

At Overfield, honeybees are buzzing around, collecting pollen and nectar, working in their hives, and caring for brood. Native pollinators are also out and about. The vegetable garden is waking up, and we are eager to make our beds for another growing season. I am hopeful we can soon return to “normalcy” and human contact. Our adherence to stay at home is working – soon we will see May flowers.

Sending cyber hugs and signing off from home, Deb – Overfield Naturalist

Registration for the 2020-2021 School Year

Thank you to everyone who has registered for the 2020-2021 school year! We are thrilled to be planning for our 60th year at Overfield. Registration is now open to all interested parties. Some classes have already filled, so we encourage anyone who is interested to enroll as soon as possible. As a reminder, class selection is granted on a first come, first served basis.

Beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3rd anyone may register online via www.enrollwithsmart.com or may bring completed registration paperwork and the enrollment fee to the office. If you are planning to register online, you MUST first speak with the office to confirm your preferred class choice has available space. After completing online registration, an enrollment folder can be picked up at the office or mailed to you. This secures your child’s class selection and completes your registration for the 2020-2021 school year. Within 2 weeks, you will receive email correspondence from SMART Tuition on behalf of Overfield with instructions for paying tuition and managing your account.

Completed enrollment paperwork is due by May 1st, 2020. Please feel free to mail in your registration documents. We are checking the mail and will be able to receive your paperwork through this format despite the school closure.

Please do not hesitate to call or email if you have any questions. We are looking forward to a wonderful year!

Posted by: overfield on April 14, 2020.