The excitement surrounding the new school year and a fresh start, the first of many crisp cool days, pumpkins (or dare I say pumpkin spice?), the changing colors of tree leaves, all culminating in the Thanksgiving holiday. As Winnie the Pooh said, “It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!”

The end of the fall season is also the time of year we publish our annual report, a time when we can acknowledge and thank our remarkable community of supporters. The 2020-21 year was like no other; a year when we saw many changes, but also many constants. The constants included an extraordinary year of giving to help us fundraise for our new middle school, with each and every gift an affirmation of our mission: to ignite the academic and creative potential of students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Other constants: a faculty and staff with a profound commitment to helping our students succeed, students who want to be active learners in the classroom, and families who understand the power of our program.

The changes include continued enrollment growth and preparation for the next school year when we will expand our program into the new space, a return to in-person learning after months of virtual lessons, and progress toward meeting our strategic goals. Change is the first step in maturing and innovating – and change will continue to lead to transformation as we evolve and experience an ever-widening recognition of our school and program.

With this issue, we’ve completed a full year of publishing our updated newsletter The Scoop. It is filled with content celebrating our school and stories about the people who make up our flourishing community. We are grateful for everyone who unselfishly dedicated time, talent, and treasure to securing our future.

It is the dedication of countless individuals who make it possible for HRS to achieve and thrive. For this, I am grateful.

Sincerely,
Stacy Turner
Head of School