Dear Harbor Families,

It's not goodbye, it's see you later (alligator)!

As we close out a very strange school year, this week's school events have reminded us all, and the children especially, of the connections and relationships - the community - that defines us at Harbor. Our second graders read bedtime stories to Harbor families, we gathered in a final all-school morning meeting, we enjoyed community nights and classes held end of year celebrations in various forms. Tomorrow, we look forward to Community Bingo Night, and in the morning - marking an important moment for our second graders as they move on to new journeys and new schools. We know this is not goodbye, that they will be back to visit, and we will always be connected!

With the end of the school year comes new beginnings - including a brand new summer program with fun and engaging themes and flexibility for parents - beginning in just over a week! Did you know that we have special, individually packaged materials kits for kids to go with each theme? That hands-on projects will keep kids thinking and having fun, while integrating skills of reading and math, engineering, the arts, and science?  That kids will engage with Harbor teachers on Zoom for enrichment classes and in-depth explorations of topics like coding, sports, and theater? Not to mention, they will be able to continue connections with friends and teachers throughout the long summer months ahead of us. Registration is open; we hope you will join us! 

As we look ahead to September, we know one thing for sure. Our intentionally small community and class size will benefit us not just in the social/emotional and academic realms as they have since Harbor’s beginning in 1973, but for the first time will translate to physical safety. With a spacious new building with plenty of outdoor space (much more than we have now) and our small class sizes, we won’t need to have students rotate through days or weeks, spending some time at home and some time at school - as the public and larger independent schools must consider. This means that once we are permitted to return to in-person learning, students can come to school five days a week, following guidelines from health authorities.

Understanding that families have many different circumstances, we are also providing choice within next year’s program. For families who want to continue to learn from home once we return to in-person school, that option is available. And if we all need to learn from home for a time, we are presenting two options - one that is primarily asynchronous (branded FLEX), and another more structured and synchronous (we are calling this MAX) program with up to four live video learning experiences a day - each with a tuition discount.

Check out our website to learn more about HARBOR@HOME SUMMER, and our program for the 2020-21 school year! We look forward to seeing you after a while (crocodile)!

Warm regards,

Leah Musico

Head of School