"This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive." - Priya Parker
It was a joy to see everyone at the Thankful Hearts celebration. The strength of our community is always on display for events such as this. Together, we supported our neighbors who struggle with food insecurity during a time when families need it most. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Additionally, it is a powerful message to the young people in our care that we can help lift others up and still take time to gather as a community, as a family, to share in our blessings.
I also wanted to share my gratitude to all those who completed our simple survey last week. Our response rate was strong, and our net promoter score continues to be strong, showing positive feelings about our school community. I also want to thank everyone who provided feedback on the form. The narrative responses are very valuable to our team as we continue to leverage our strengths and look for opportunities to grow and improve. Over the last few years, your feedback has helped us reshape our communication procedures, evaluate specific academic programs, and reimagine our middle school schedule and tech policies specific to screentime. We are still reviewing all of the narrative responses from this year, and I look forward to sharing our work with you. Again, thank you for taking the time to be open and advocate for our school.
I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving wherever and however you celebrate this time. I am grateful to all who help to shape this community in positive ways, and I wish you a restful and joyful break filled with good food, good company, and good times.
Let’s Fly!
Jenn
P.S. We are beyond delighted to announce that James River's annual Thankful Hearts Food Drive has brought in more than 12,600 cans. These non-perishable items were donated to Lynchburg Daily Bread, Holy Cross Food Pantry, and the Rivermont Area Emergency Food Bank to support our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.