Dear Harbor Families,

Last night at our house, our Kindergarten daughter announced that she was going to put her brother to bed. It was a monumental moment, not only because Bill and I had an extra few minutes to clean up the kitchen and get ready for today, but because we got to secretly listen in (and even captured some video) as she “read” him bedtime books cuddled up in the rocking chair together. This happened to be the same day that we received photos via Seesaw of their two Harbor classes paired up for buddy reading. If you are a Kindergarten or Preschool 2/3s parent, you likely also saw the sweet photos of the older kids reading with confidence and maturity to our littlest Harbor students. A comment left by a fellow parent exclaimed, “Absolutely heartwarming!” I couldn’t agree more.

I know I don’t have to tell you about how valuable it is to read aloud to kids! Regular sharing of books and stories models  life-long habits and a joy of reading, provides context for discussions and valuable life lessons, teaches children to think critically, models decoding and comprehension strategies, and facilitates deeper relationships through shared experiences - to name just a few of the many benefits.

For the past week at Harbor, thanks to an incredible group of parent volunteers organized by the HSPA, the kids have perused engaging and fun books at our annual Book Fair. Yesterday, many dressed as their favorite book characters, and today they get to come to school in their pajamas and replicate some of that before-bedtime-reading at school. And, of course, tonight we celebrate the incredible power of books, stories, and community together - at our annual PJ Party! It’s a beloved tradition at Harbor, and for good reason. Besides being a fun way to spend time together as a community, the event represents our commitment to what we know in early childhood is so very important - giving kids lots of opportunities to engage with books of all kinds and about all sorts of topics. It’s all about the joy of reading.

We look forward to seeing you tonight!

Warmly,

Leah Musico

Head of School

The Harbor School