Our First Week Back in School!

It has been a great week back at school. There are a lot of updates and some new calendar events below so please read through this carefully. I intend to send out a "Pacem Pages" once per week, usually on Mondays (starting on the 21st) and this will be an important resource for events and information from Pacem.

In this week's Pacem Pages:

1. Updates and volunteer needs.
2. Scenes from this Week
3. Important Dates and Reminders
4. Head of School musings

• Volunteer needs:
• Running Club (details below) driver on Mondays from 3:15 - 4:45 - Contact Nick - nick@pacemschool.org
• Birthday baker! - We would like to honor monthly birthdays with some sort of treat once per month. Its always a good idea to find vegan and gluten free options so that all kids can participate. Want to bake once a month for our birthday crew? Schedule can be flexible to fit your availability. Contact Ryan to volunteer.
• 20th Anniversary planning - We are looking for one or 2 parents to join our 20th anniversary extravaganza planning team. We are meeting next Thursday 9/17 right after school- Contact Ryan

• Running Club: Nick will be doing "Run Club" again this year. On Mondays right after school we will head to a nearby park, usually Hubbard Park, for a half hour run/walk, then return to school around 4:30-4:45. Nick can take 3 kids easily in his car. It would be great to have a parent join us for transport and/or hitting the trails (at any speed). All abilities welcome, no competition just fun. In winter it will become Sled Club as conditions permit.
• Thursday pick up timing - Pick up time for Thursday can start at 3:05pm but 3:15pm is also totally fine if that is already part of your schedule.
• Thursday Students - 9/17 Field trip to Tunbridge Fair - Our Thursday crew is taking a full day field trip to the Tunbridge Fair for their education day. We will have a teacher staying behind to lead projects class and a workshop on drawing people for comics in the afternoon. Please complete the permission form Linked Here if your student plans to attend the fair.
• Pacem All School Campout! - We have reserved group sites at Kettle pond for the evening of October 8th. This is open to all students and we would love for everyone to be there! We will head to the site after school and hike to Owls Head the following morning. More details later but save the date!
• FREYA!!!! - There has been a lot of excitement in the building this week because our favorite school visitor Freya has come back to join us. She will be here Wednesday, Thursday and the afternoon on Fridays.

Here are some important dates. These include field trips, class visitors, fire drills, community events and more:

• Monday, September 15th: Journalist from The Bridge visiting for an article on Pacem's 20th anniversary!

• Tuesday, September 15th: Fire Drill @ 9:30am

• Thursday, September 17th: Tunbridge Fair Field Trip for Thursday students - Permission form HERE

• September 30th: Immunization records due to Ryan (full time students). Or you can sign the religious or medical exemption form.

• Thursday October 8-9: All School Campout at

• Tuesday, October 13th, 6-8pm: Community Song Circle and Potluck with Yasi Zeichner

Good afternoon,

This week as I have been teaching and observing our students throughout the building I have been appreciating a place where students can be themselves. Us teachers have had many conversations on the side about how great this particular cohort of students are. Their willingness to jump in and be a part of things is so wonderful. Students are nominating each other for student circle representative and volunteering to lead a whole range of Thursday workshops. We have had students working in the hallway, on beanbag chairs, outside and snuggled next to Freya. Students have taken breaks when they needed them and engaged in exciting conversation about literature and science. Good stuff happening around here for sure and community is definitely being created.

I am also trying to start a list of community and educational resources for families. Id love to add a list of tutors, fun and educational activities, supportive mental health services and more. Please share some of your resources with me when you have a minute and I will start compiling a growing list for families. Pacem can be a resource for families too so please share the cool things you are a part of our learn about.

I know it's been a short week but it sure doesn't feel like it! We have been busy learning, collecting fish tank supplies and snuggling dogs. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Sincerely,
Ryan Johns