A Message from the Principal
Hello Members of the Starksboro Community,
I hope this note finds you well. My name is Andy Weis, and I am honored to introduce myself as the new principal of Robinson Elementary School. This school is a special place that is a vital thread in the strong fabric of Starksboro. I am looking forward to connecting with students and families, and collaborating with the caring, expert staff. Together, we will strive to uphold the values and traditions that make people proud to belong to the Robinson Elementary School community.
In that spirit, I recognize that moving into a school is far more complex than just transitioning one's belongings. The work ahead of me this summer (and for the next year really) is to slowly construct and develop a working understanding of what our learning community is and what it aspires to be. The construction of this mental model, in my experience, is developed by stringing together one meaningful conversation after another. If this transition is to be successful, the foundation of that success will be my ability to ask good questions and to listen, rather than my ability to do or to say impactful things. I need to learn what it means to be part of this school community, and I am really thrilled to begin cobbling together that understanding.
A few RES updates:
-Starksboro Cooperative Preschool has moved in for the summer while they await renovations to their space down the street. The energy and enthusiasm the kids and teachers bring is a welcome change to what can be an otherwise lonely summer in the office.
-We have a new school counselor! Please welcome Natalie Lynch, who just completed a year-long internship at J.J. Flynn Elementary School in Burlington. We are very excited to have her join our team.
-Shifts in enrollment mean that we also have a new teacher in sixth grade! Please welcome community member and RES parent, Erin Hopper. We are thrilled to have her join us after ten years of teaching in Essex. Emily Reid, the previous sixth grade teacher, will teach fifth grade, and Kerry Lake (previously the fifth grade teacher) will be with the third grade.
-Summer work in and around the building is ongoing. Barb Bell and Andy Young are pushing through the hot days to get spaces ready for students and teachers. The main office suite and the gym have been repainted. The gym also has a new ceiling and lighting.
-Doreen Bortz and Beth Estey have been running a fantastic program called “Meal Kits for Kids”. Each week, they create and distribute 140 meal kits, which are free for kids in our community.
-There is an open seat for a school board representative from Starksboro. Your voice is essential to the success of our school and MAUSD as a whole. Please contact me if you have interest in this role.
Keep an eye out for future communication about a social opportunity in August.
I hope this note finds you well. My name is Andy Weis, and I am honored to introduce myself as the new principal of Robinson Elementary School. This school is a special place that is a vital thread in the strong fabric of Starksboro. I am looking forward to connecting with students and families, and collaborating with the caring, expert staff. Together, we will strive to uphold the values and traditions that make people proud to belong to the Robinson Elementary School community.
In that spirit, I recognize that moving into a school is far more complex than just transitioning one's belongings. The work ahead of me this summer (and for the next year really) is to slowly construct and develop a working understanding of what our learning community is and what it aspires to be. The construction of this mental model, in my experience, is developed by stringing together one meaningful conversation after another. If this transition is to be successful, the foundation of that success will be my ability to ask good questions and to listen, rather than my ability to do or to say impactful things. I need to learn what it means to be part of this school community, and I am really thrilled to begin cobbling together that understanding.
A few RES updates:
-Starksboro Cooperative Preschool has moved in for the summer while they await renovations to their space down the street. The energy and enthusiasm the kids and teachers bring is a welcome change to what can be an otherwise lonely summer in the office.
-We have a new school counselor! Please welcome Natalie Lynch, who just completed a year-long internship at J.J. Flynn Elementary School in Burlington. We are very excited to have her join our team.
-Shifts in enrollment mean that we also have a new teacher in sixth grade! Please welcome community member and RES parent, Erin Hopper. We are thrilled to have her join us after ten years of teaching in Essex. Emily Reid, the previous sixth grade teacher, will teach fifth grade, and Kerry Lake (previously the fifth grade teacher) will be with the third grade.
-Summer work in and around the building is ongoing. Barb Bell and Andy Young are pushing through the hot days to get spaces ready for students and teachers. The main office suite and the gym have been repainted. The gym also has a new ceiling and lighting.
-Doreen Bortz and Beth Estey have been running a fantastic program called “Meal Kits for Kids”. Each week, they create and distribute 140 meal kits, which are free for kids in our community.
-There is an open seat for a school board representative from Starksboro. Your voice is essential to the success of our school and MAUSD as a whole. Please contact me if you have interest in this role.
Keep an eye out for future communication about a social opportunity in August.