Principal's Weekly Update

This week we have tried to strike a most difficult balance-- we wanted to afford ourselves every opportunity to grieve at the same time that we tried to move forward and to maintain many of our daily routines. This Weekly Letter reflects that-- I send it out in part to maintain one of my weekly routines, while at the same time using it as an opportunity for continued communication about how we are dealing with the loss of Nate.

I want to thank all of the parents who have reached out to me personally with messages of support--you provided me with some much needed strength so that I could better support my students and staff. I know that many of you similarly reached out to your child's teachers or sent cards to express condolences to our entire staff. Our PTA, who always looks to take care of us, typically in better times, reached out to us in this time of need and provided the staff with breakfast on Thursday. TPAUD, the TAA (Administrator's Union) and Helen Keller Middle School in Easton also took turns feeding the faculty this week-- we are so grateful to all of you.

On Thursday our students were very happy to have see some of their former Principals-- Jen Neumeyer (Tashua) and Pat Horan (Jane Ryan) joined us for the lunch waves. It was nice to see so many smiles and hugs-- it was very powerful to witness how much it meant to the students to be reunited with these caring "trusted adults" from their recent past.

Returning for a moment to what I said at the open of this letter-- we did our best to get a read on our students' needs this week. We were so grateful to have numerous mental health professionals in our service this week. At any moment, any student who was struggling and needed someone to talk to, had easy access to a sympathetic ear. At the same time, a surprising amount of teaching and learning carried on. I credit my staff for the flexibility and sensitivity which they displayed in knowing what was appropriate for their students.

We went ahead with our planned "Author's Talk" on Thursday. Once again our 7th grade students are reading I'll Always Write Back and once again the book's author Caitlin Alifrenka agreed to share her experiences with our students. Just like last year, there was a follow up activity, in the spirit of the theme of kindness in the novel, where students made blankets to donate to local children's hospitals. This year some of those extra blankets were handed out to our own students as a gesture of sympathy and support.

Some quick reminders from earlier communications this week about how we look to continue to support our students during the vacation week:

Middle school students are invited to Madison on Monday, April 14 from 8:30–10:30 AM and/or Wednesday, April 16 from 12:00–2:00 PM for a time of recreational activities and access to counseling support.

Parents/guardians must complete the RSVP form by Sunday, April 13 at 12:00 PM if their child plans to attend. Please note that this opportunity is open to middle school students only.

The Mary J. Sherlach Counseling Center is providing grief support groups at no cost to the community throughout the week. These sessions are open to individuals seeking space to process, connect, and receive professional support. To register, please call the Counseling Center directly at (203) 452-5193.

Grief Support Group Schedule:

• Monday, April 14 – 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

• Tuesday, April 15 – 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM (Adults Support Group)

• Wednesday, April 16 – 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

• Thursday, April 17 – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

In closing, I've already thanked the many counselors who came this week to support our students. I have to also give a special thanks to those individuals who brought their Therapy Dogs to Madison this week. Those dogs were able to light up the faces of our students without having to say or bark a single word. I have provided two example pictures of our students with these dogs, but I could have shared numerous others, and our students all instantly took their own pictures, so they can probably share many as well. The final photo at the bottom is of a banner which our students and staff signed-as you can clearly see, it reaffirms the notion that "We are the Madison Family", a family that has rallied together in the most difficult circumstances imaginable, and which pledges support for one another as we all try to move forward

During the vacation week, there are important religious observances-- Jewish Passover begins this evening, and the Christian Holy Days of Good Friday and Easter Sunday follow at the end of this week-- I want to express my best wishes to all members of the Madison Community who observe any of those religious traditions. I want to wish a peaceful week to all of you as we all continue to process the devastating reality of what we experienced this week. Take care of yourselves, and know that there is a lot of help and support all around you.

Take care,

Peter Sullivan