A Message from the Head 

Some time ago, the Director of Accreditation Services for AIMS asked me to chair the visiting committee to another progressive school in our region. Understanding that we had recently gone through our visit, and recognizing that this opportunity is somewhere between an honor and an expectation, I accepted. During evenings, weekends, and the occasional break in the action here at FCS, I spent time organizing our visit by scheduling meetings, dividing responsibilities, and reading an extensive self study. As always, the advance work made all of the difference.

Visiting another great school adds depth to my understanding of what a well run independent, progressive program can do for children. Our team visited every classroom, interviewed every administrator, ate lunch with children, and observed drop-off, pick up, and a fire drill. We held important conversations with representative Board members, parents, and the entire faculty. It is great to see other schools providing engaging lessons, differentiation, and personalized attention. All of us on the team return to our home schools with a deeper understanding of not just the school we visited, but each other's schools as well. Later this school year, Jenny Goodman will represent FCS on another AIMS visitation team, and she too will experience the privilege of this essential service that AIMS schools provide for each other. I am confident she too will benefit from this experience.

In Peace,

Larry

Building Project Updates

My Bulletin article last week seemed to prompt more questions than it answered! Currently, we expect final approval from the state Soil Conservation department within days and will then submit all previously approved components for final project sign offs from the county. Once approved, our contractor is prepared to begin work within 48 hours! While our Green and Growing Campaign has been very successful, we are still about $35,000 short of our goal. The Board is confident that we will reach our goal within the next few weeks. Our contractor and I have discussed plans and schedules for the project. Soon, they will install silt fencing and construction fencing to prevent children from entering the actual construction site. Shortly thereafter they will begin digging for utilities and foundation work. The superintendent for Scheibel Construction will be on-site every day and will meet with me to discuss the work and oversee all sub-contractors on the job. As you might expect, the safety of each child and our faculty is our shared (and primary) responsibility.

I plan to update you regularly once the work begins!

Larry