September 5, 2018

Dear Friends of The Harbor School,

As we embark upon a new year of learning and growth at The Harbor School, we are writing to share news that we believe brings an exciting opportunity for our community. In the summer of 2020, The Harbor School will be moving to a new location, ensuring that our new facilities align with the mission of our growing, dynamic program and our long term goals. 

For the past 24 years of our 45 year history, we have leased facilities from St. George Greek Orthodox Church. Through our regular lease renewal process, the church shared that they will need the school building for their growing program in the coming years. Harbor and the church have agreed that our school will stay in the current space for two more years. This time frame will allow us the time to secure an ideal facility for the specific needs of our vibrant educational program. In addition, a relocation aligns with our recent thinking about how we might expand our programs if we were able to fully access our school facility, even beyond our regular hours of operation.

While the right physical facility is important, schools are much more than bricks and mortar. The Harbor School is an extraordinary place for children to learn and develop throughout their early childhood years because of its deeply rooted history, our talented educators, and our committed community of families. These strengths enable us to live up to our mission to embrace the uniqueness of each young child and teach our students to celebrate it in themselves and each other.

With input from the Harbor community, the Board of Trustees and school administration will develop criteria for a new location, which will include the following essential components:

• Proximal to our current location
• Classrooms well-suited for early childhood learning
• Outdoor area for a play space designed for our age groups
• Fiscally responsible

We have begun to research options for relocation, including the possibility of purchasing our own facility. We intend to engage outside expertise to help us identify and assess prospective spaces. In the coming months, we will provide opportunities for members of the school community to engage in this process, and we also encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. 

Above all, we want to ensure that we retain what we all love about Harbor. We are confident that we will be able to secure a space that fosters the warmth, engagement, and high quality education that sets us apart and makes us proud to call The Harbor School our home. 

We look forward to garnering energy and input from the community as we plan our path forward. 

Warm regards,

Leah Musico
Head of School

Kameha Bell
Chair, Board of Trustees