June 15, 2010
Dear Carol,
A couple months after school opened, I paid you the compliment that we could tell which of our Xara Garden School students came from The Little School since they seemed a head taller than many of their peers in terms of social and emotional growth. Well, now that the school year is winding down and I have had the privilege of watching all those students navigate their Kindergarten year, my compliments only grow richer and deeper. Your little graduates hit the ground here running - both academically and socially - and they never looked back. To be sure, they have had their share of conflicts and hurt feelings, but the issues they are dealing with are more developed and subtle - like how three girls can be best friends. The kinds of things that give most of their peers trouble, like negotiating what to play, are handled by our former Little School students with ease. In class meetings, group work, and on the playground, their methods of cooperation are excellent models for the rest of our students.
And so, from this perspective at the end of the year, I find my early compliments have not faded at all, and the early head start enjoyed by your former students situated them beautifully for success. We certainly look forward to the privilege of working with more of your Little School graduates, and we thank you for the excellence of your preparation for the school experience.
Mark Hinkley, Executive Director
Xara Learning Village Incorporated
Xara Garden School