Dear Loggerhead Families,

 

I’m typing this month’s letter from my Grandparent’s home on Long Island as I am up here in New York spending some time with my family. My Grandma Rose passed away earlier in the week and I’m hoping that by sitting in her office, and by looking at all of her published articles hanging on the walls, I will be able to live up to her high expectations as I write to you today. When we opened Laurel Hill, nearly four years ago, we established some goals for both the type of impact we would have on our students as well as the type of environment in which we would educate our children. Two commitments which emerged from these discussions were: • To do whatever we could to ensure a safe learning environment for all of our students. • To cultivate a love of learning in each of our children that will last a lifetime. Ensuring student safety at our school is the result of our detailed plans ranging from traffic patterns and dismissal routines, to playground rules and the locking of classroom doors. One component of student safety which is rarely discussed, but incredibly important, is child sexual abuse. Our faculty was trained this week by a volunteer from Darkness to Light, a local organization whose mission is to empower people to prevent child sexual abuse. As an educator (and a parent) I left the informative training with a knowledge regarding the signs of abuse, ways in which we can avoid dangerous situations, and most importantly a new understanding about the lifelong impact that this crime will cause. The statistics presented to us regarding the number of children (1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls) who will be victims of child sexual abuse are simply staggering. If these ratios (or even a fraction of these ratios) are applicable to our student population, it is simply unacceptable. I encourage you as parents to educate yourselves on this topic. You can access www.darkness2light.org for additional information and training opportunities. Please help us to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our many students.

 

In educational circles we often talk about life-long learners and cultivating a love of learning. But what does this really look like? I believe that looking at positive role models can provide each of us with an example to strive toward. For me, Grandma Rose provided such inspiration and can truly be classified as a life-long learner. After high school, college was not an option for her as she was required to begin working in an effort to help support the family. While raising a family of her own she always stayed informed of current issues, vigorously promoted the education of her own children (and grandchildren), and became a local activist. I remember as a child making signs with grandma and picketing the nearby power plant, reading her published articles in the local papers, and talking with her about the many causes she was fighting and/or supporting. This passion for learning continued throughout her life, and at age 75 she finally received her Bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College. And as she would tell you, “This isn’t one of those on-line degrees that kids get from home, I go and sit in all of my classes!” I challenge you as parents and grandparents to express to your children the importance of education and to be that positive role model in the eyes of your child. My hope is that we are producing students who will follow a similar path, who will become knowledgeable and informed community members. My hope is that our current students look back at their time at Laurel Hill as the springboard toward a lifetime of learning.

 

So often we look at the short-term results of our efforts as we educate our children. Thank you for your continued support as we do everything we can to ensure the best for our students as we look at the lifelong impact that these early childhood years provide.

 

Sincerely,

Michael C. Antonelli