Stoneridge Children's Montesori School

Stoneridge E-Waste Days May 10 & 11

Finally, a convenient opportunity to responsibly dispose
of all the e-waste lying around your house!

E-Waste Recycing Days

May 10th and 11th  

8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

For the second year in a row, bring your "techno-trash" to Stoneridge and leave it with us for proper disposal at our parking lot collection station! This is a fundraiser--last year many families participated, we raised $2,000 for the school, and we all felt good about helping the environment.

E-Waste Recycling Days give an opportunity to see that your techno-trash is recycled in a way that doesn't hurt people or nature. Pay $1/pound for most of your recyclables.

 

We accept:

Adding machines

Household batteries

Calculators

Cameras

Curcuit Boards

Televisions, VCRs, DVD and CD players

Computers, printers and fax machines

Copy machines

Cords, extension cords and surge protectors

Dehumidifiers

Docking stations

Game cartridges and video games

Hard drives and keyboards

Microwaves

Modems, monitors, projectors, and routers

Satellite dishes, stereo systems, and telephones 

Electronic material that goes into landfills pollutes the land and water if it is buried and pollutes the air if it is incinerated or improperly recycled (sometimes the same thing). Most electronic-waste-collection services simply export electronics at greatest profit, which usually means the e-waste is processed in a way that's not considered acceptable.

This year, Stoneridge is working with Metech Recycling, an E-Stewards-certified recycler.

E-Stewards certification means that the company’s practices for processing and recycling electronic materials are verified by outside auditors to meet the highest environmental standards.

Metech also destroys all personal data on equipment that it collects, so you don't have to worry about your personal information falling into the wrong hands.

So start gathering those old keyboards, stereo receivers, laptops, and monitors! Bring them to the school for feel-good recycling while supporting Stoneridge! Contact Duncan Cox or Sarah Parker with any questions.  

"Get to Know You" Cocktail Party

It's an evening of socializing with old and new friends!

Join us on Saturday, May 19, at 7:00 p.m., for an evening of great conversation, delicious hors d'oeuvres, festive music, and good fun! Parents of Stoneridge and Harborlight are invited to a "get to know you" cocktail party at Beverly Golf & Tennis Club. The cost is $25 per person. Save the date! More information to follow.  

 

Poetry: The Genre of Childhood

by Diane Sullivan and Heather Carnevale, Lower Elementary Head Teachers

The children have enjoyed playing with poetry this month.  They've acted out favorite poems, listened to the rhythm of words, and learned how to deliberately craft a poem- with the eyes of a poet.  Please enjoy this collection of poetry written by the students and keep your eye out for big feelings, voice, line breaks, repeating lines, lists, stories, and fun with language.

 

Falcons  By Oliver, age 6

Swoop and glide all day

Catch its prey

Bringing it home

Eat it for dinner

Get another

 

Dancing Eraser  By Alex, age 7

A dancing eraser on the table

Getting ready to erase

It got all used up

And now it's all black 

And now it's an eraser 

That will never come back

 

Scissors  By Esme, age 6

They open and close.

They snip and snap.

They cut and shut.

 

A Good Season  By Jack, age 9

      Splash!

in a Puddle.

      Rain

      In the 

SpriNg makes 

     Green grass.

 

The Seagull     By Vincent, age 8

The seagull

To the beach

Get a tasty treat

To the sea

Out of the sea

To the baseball game

Go to McDonalds

Scavenge for fries

Go home in the late

Evening sky

 

Pine Trees  By Maeve, age 6

Pine trees are pointy

Pine trees are sticky

Pine trees are green

Pine trees are minty

 

Zebra  By Toby, age 6

Zipping

Eating

Blending

Run

Awesome

 

The Cardinal  By Noah, age 7

The Cardinal is red.

He darts through the grass

Catching insects.

It is sleek

And fast.

 

Little Bunny  by Laura, age 7

Little bunny on the hill

Have you seen your good friend Will?

Little bunny in the storm

Do you see the gray clouds form?

Little bunny soaking wet

you'll be safe in there I bet!

Now little bunny is safe at home.

 

The Fireworks  By CJ, age 6

The fireworks blow into colors.

Fireworks turn into pieces.

The they turn into air.

 

I Love  By Andrew, age 9

I love my mom-special

I love my dad-nice

I love my dog-cute

I love my cousin-cool

I love fifo-good companion

I love my brother-fun

I love turtles-Awesome

And I LOVE LIFE!

 

Max  By Max, age 8

Mighty

Active

X-treme

 

Sparrow  By Ari, age 8

Sings a lot

Pecks at seed 

Awesome

Rare to see

Rambunctious

Off their rocker

Warrior against worms

 

Jack and Jill  By Oliver, age 8

Jack and Jill sat on a hill

Thinking that it was cheese

They ate it all and they went ill

And no one saw them again

 

The Thief  by Sammy age 7

To the garbage

Get a treat

To the garbage

Dig a hole

Peeyou

A skunk

 

Family  by Emma age 7

 

I love my                My family

family                    loves me

My family               They

is sweet                  think

I love my                I am 

family                    great

I love my                My family

family                    loves me

                            They think

                            I'm 

                            wonderful

 

Time  by Susannah age 9

Time is ticking

Time is tocking

Time says "Hi"

It is 10:09

Oh my

I'm late

Time flys

 

Cook/Eat  by Jemma age 9

Cooking

In the kitchen

To make buns

To make cakes and pies

While he waits

At the table

To eat

__________

To eat

At the table

While I wait

For cakes and pies

To eat buns

That are waiting 

In the kitchen

 

Setting the Table  by Mia age 9

Mom's plate first

(since she made me)

The dad's plate

(since he helped)

Then Michaels's plate

(since he's my brother)

And my plate last

Since I'm writing this poem

 

Snipes  by Maceo age 8

Snipes live in pipes

Snipes eat bipes

Bipes are a fish

Snipes are a pish

Pish

Make wishes

Pishes live in wishing bowls

Wishing bowls make gips

Gips like to wip

You should

Watch

Out

They'll wip you

 

Sun   by Athena age 8

Sun I love you I want to stay

In bed all day and go to school

Please sun I really do so cancel school

By going to sleep all day please

 

 

Rain  by Maia age 7

See the

raindrops

fall                    drip

When                drop

they fall            drip

they go            drop

sploosh            drip

drop                drop

splish            drip

and                drop

sploosh            drip

                       drip drop

                        sploosh

                        splish

                        splosh

 

The Electrons Swirl  by Eli

The electrons swirl

around

the 

nucleus

while the 

protons are

near 

and

Billions of

them can

make a

Bottle of beer!

 

Titanic    by Noah

Titanic was nice

It bumped big ice

Titanic was nice

And I wish it did not

Sink

Has it still been down 

there

I don't think

Can they ever pull it up

And make it seaworthy?

 

 

 

Celebrating Stoneridge: Shaping Lives, Learning, and Community for Over 20 Years

by Alan Feldman, for the Stoneridge Legacy Committee

Join us for a grand celebration of Stoneridge! All are welcome--current and past families-- anyone who has experienced the extraordinary community of Stoneridge. There so much to celebrate about our School and so many people to celebrate with!

Join us for art projects, music performances, a picnic, and an end-of-day ceremony with some favorite Stoneridge songs. We will keep you posted as the plans develop. So, save the date:

www.celebratingstoneridge.org

Saturday, June 9
12:00 p.m. to 3 p.m.
on the Stoneridge campus

 

 

Living in Another World -- MS Exchange

by Suzanne Caruso, MS head teacher

Living with a family in Terrassa, Spain for ten days was an incredible experience. Having traveled abroad a few times in the last few years, I can say this experience was unlike the rest. Living with a host family requires consistent sense of openness and flexibility. You no longer determine the flow of your day, because you now go along with someone else’s flow. You learn to let go of your “norm” and accept whatever is happening each moment.

For example, going to sleep at 11:30 pm is not my typical routine. But in Terrassa, dinnertime is around 9:00 p.m., so going to bed an hour or so later makes sense. Eating a big lunch at 2:00 p.m. is what the Catalonians do, so you learn to do it, too.

The Middle School exchange to Catalonia is really a cultural exchange, teaching each of us what it means to learn about and adapt to a new culture. We sought to withhold our judgments…“dinner at 9:00 p.m., that is SO late!” and accept what comes. We absorbed the newness of Catalonian food, speech, and family and community life. We practiced openness and flexibility each day. Because of this, we return to Stoneridge enriched with an understanding of what it means to truly be “on exchange.”

Thank you to our community at Stoneridge for helping us to experience this exchange. We truly appreciate your support. Please take a look at the photos from our trip at the Our Doings website.

Summer Camp @ Harborlight

Still trying to figure out how to make this summer unforgettable for your child?

Consider Summer Camp at Harborlight. There are many programs available to children ages 4 to 12. Space is limited, so take a look at the program directory and sign up now!

http://harborlightmontessori.org/programs/summer-program/ 

 

Alcohol, Drug Use, and the Adolescent Brain

Dr. Marisa Silveri, nationally acclaimed Behavioral Neuroscientist, will talk about her research on adolescent brain development and the effects of alcohol and drug use on brain function. This presentation is open to the public at no charge.

Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Shore Country Day School
545 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA  01915

 

Dr. Silveri is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Research Psychologist in the Brain Imaging Center at McLean Hospital. 

 

Our First Visit to the Harborlight Campus

by Cathy Palmisano, Merrill Hawkins, and Rick Boomer, Upper Elementary teachers

The Upper El fourth and fifth grade students had their first visit to the Harborlight campus the week before April Vacation. We hope to have several more visits (to and from Harborlight) in the coming months. This time, our objective was to see the Upper Elementary space and meet some of our new classmates. We only planned to go for an hour, so it would not be too overwhelming for anyone.

Some of the students were nervous, but overall everyone did a great job socializing with the HL students and staff. The feedback was positive. We know that there are so many parts of Stoneridge that we will all miss, many aspects of our school that will come with us to HL, and, as the kids realized, so many similarities between the two classrooms.

Here is what a few kids said about their visit:

“It was really awesome. We introduced ourselves, and what grade we are in. After that we paired up with a Harborlight kid and they were meant to show us around the classrooms. There were three rooms, E 1, E 2, and E3 that were all connected. There was a giant snack available, so we all had some bagels, fruitn and hot cocoa with our new friends. After that, we met in the circle again to begin the game “Snowball.” To play Snowball we had to write on a piece of colored paper 4 things that “made you you.” Stoneridge kids wrote on green paper and Harborlight on pink. We then crumpled the paper up and threw them in a pile out on the field. Then, each person had to pick up a opposite color paper and find out who you got by their characteristics. I learned the Victoria wants a pet snake and the best part was the food, and also getting to know the other kids. We made a lot of new friends.”

“It was fun. The kids were nice and they had good food there too! I was surprised at how big the classroom was and by the similarities: the work was the same, the tables and what they do is really similar to what we do.”

“The people were very nice at Harborlight. The room was nice too. I like how much space there was.”

“Did you know, they use the same exact work planners we use?”

“The teachers and kids were very welcoming, the food looked great too! I re-met an old friend from summer camp.”

“For me, I was really scared before we went. I didn’t want to go. I am still worried about the change, it will not be easy for me, but in the long term, I think it will be good.

“I was impressed that some people remembered me from when I went there. The others were so friendly, talkative, outgoing and casual – very easy to talk to.”

“I like the game we played. We learned we had a lot of things in common. Many of us play soccer and a lot of us love to read, especially Harry Potter.”

“My favorite part was the kids.”

“Everything was so clean and organized and nice and new looking!”

The next morning when we debriefed on the trip it was unanimously decided that another visit should be planned. Many students expressed interest in spending a full morning at HL, in bringing the rising 3rd graders with us, and wanting a tour of the entire HL campus, not just the Upper Elementary rooms.

We encourage you to keep talking with your children about the merger. We all have so many feelings and questions about the upcoming months and the exciting changes that await us. And as always, we are easger to hear about your and your child’s feelings.

 

Montessori in Toddler House: Part 7

by Pam Richardson, Toddler House Head Teacher

What a fabulous spring we are having! Our classroom and works reflect the season. In circle, we often read longer stories about newborn animals including a duck, lambs, kittens, puppies, and piglets.

Below, Tessa is gently rubbing the mother duck against Will's cheek during her singing of "Five Little Ducks."

    

Above, Matthew is tracing the path of our finger labyrinth created with sea shells and sand. Bella is misting and wiping the leaves clean on our climbing vine. 

     

    Above Alessandra is hanging bird houses and birds on our birch tree. Below Silas and Lila are opening spring eggs to find the surprises inside.

    Here Andrew is matching shapes inside of eggs. Oliver is exploring ovoids of different textures.

    Sam is using his thumbs to open nested eggs while Sofia and Alexander are lining up our leaping frogs.

    Henry remains focused until all 100 of the pegs are posted.
    To increase the toddler's independence, they learn how to take care of themselves. 

 

    They also learn to help care for others.

Above, Alexander is asking Lila if she is okay. Matthew, Silas and Oliver are concerned about her as well.

As part of our transitioning process in preparation for next year, our toddlers have enjoyed their second visit to a Children's House classroom. They love these visits where they have an older schoolmate show them their classroom and share their exciting works.

This year we have been so fortunate to have Middle School and Upper Elementary students spend time in our classroom on Mondays and Fridays. The toddlers love these visits!

Please join us in welcoming Shaurya and his mom, Nidhi, and dad, Samit to our classroom! 

 

 

Music in May!

by Hannah Mell, Music Director

May is an exciting month for music!

Toddlers are venturing into the music room on Wednesdays starting this month, and Children's House students are preparing for their Spring Teas on May 16, 17, and 18.

Important dates to watch for:

April 30, Musical Monday: Jade, Kathie, Margaret & Gina play flute music

May 7, Musical Monday: Zehava & Ben perform Elton John, Adele & more

May 10: Spring Concert at Endicott College (6:30 p.m.; stay tuned for e-mail reminders)

May 14, Musical Monday: Juliette sings and plays the drums

May 14: LE-MS performs for the Beverly Council on Aging (10:45 a.m.)

May 21, Musical Monday: Instrumentalists of UE

As always, e-mail Hannah at hmell@stoneridgecms.org if you have any questions!

 

Babysitting Certification

Does your child enjoy babysitting? Now is the time to take advantage of a Red Cross Babysitting Certification on May 12 or 19th. Increasingly parents require that babysitters have the necessary tools to manage emergencies skill and maturity. This course will help your child gain confidence and provide comfort to parents. This training session will be led by Stoneridge parent, Missy Magnant, and runs from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the Stoneridge campus.

If you're interested, sign up with School Secretary, Pat Tucker.

 

Celebrating Spring!

by Linda Seeley, Children's House Head Teacher

A spring flower popped up here, a spring flower popped up there,
Next thing we knew, not one but two, spring flowers were everywhere! 

Spring has brought not only the blossoming of trees and flowers on our grounds and in our gardens but also the blossoming of so many accomplishments of and skills within the children. The skills that were planted through lessons and experiences throughout the year are now coming to fruition.

The children are enthusiastically involved in many activities revolving around our studies of the plant and animal kingdoms.  In the remaining weeks of school, we will further investigate flowers, mammals, insects, and other springtime wonders.

As always, our Special Guest Night was fun and exciting for the children.  They take such pride and ownership in their work and in their classrooms.  Now the children are beginning their preparations for our annual Spring Teas. Moms, or designated special guests, will soon receive their invitations!  The tea is a culmination of many of the children's skills.  They busily plan and bake the refreshments, make the gifts and cards, arrange and decorate the tearooms, and practice grace and courtesy lessons.

So many of these skills come from the Practical Life area of the classroom.  Practical Life is the foundation that helps the child to construct him/her self on so many levels.  To begin with, these activities allow the children to contribute to their community. Beautifying the classroom, making snack to share, watering the plants, etc. These are the things that help a child build a sense of place and her importance in the community and also a sense of social responsibility.  Many of the practical life activities are about care of self, but others, of course, are about working on things that help those around you.

The Spring Tea provides an opportunity for the guests (usually parents) to make time for the children and to remind the children of the important place they hold in the guests' hearts. The classroom tea truly belongs to the children.  They plan it, they create it, and they carry it out.  Children who learn practical life skills and practice kindness and gratitude will find social situations elsewhere instinctively easier.  As classroom teachers, we get to experience the community of the classroom and to celebrate the growth of the children.  It is a joyous occasion for all who attend.

April was national poetry month and we celebrated it by sharing Poem in your Pocket Day at a recent assembly.  Poetry has always been an important part of our curriculum as it strengthens skills in reading, speaking, and listening.  

Recently poet Jonathan Bennett (Mikaila and Solomon's dad) spent an afternoon with the kindergarteners helping them to develop their own poems based on Emily Dickinson's poem, Letter To Bee.  The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and readily shared their poems and illustrations with one another.  Reading and developing poetry with children is but another gift we as adults can give them.  Many thanks to Jonathan!

The K's have also begun their semester of swimming instruction.  It is hard to tell which is more exciting for them, riding the school bus or learning water safety and swimming!  We are all singing, It's fun to swim at the YMCA! You may see more swimming photos on our online photo album. 

The kindergarteners are also excited about their play, The Dance of the Cosmos, which they will present to family and friends on Thursday, June 7th.  Currently they are researching and writing their parts, designing their sets and costumes and generating tremendous enthusiasm for all aspects of this project!  This musical never fails to delight all who attend!

Finally, if you are looking for a lovely springtime adventure consider a trip to Mackworth Island in Falmouth Maine.  Only about two hours away, Mackworth Island offers a beautiful and easy walk for both children and adults with views of Casco Bay and an outstanding collection of fairy houses!  Of course children can add to the collection with their own creations.

"In nature, a child finds freedom, fantasy, and privacy...a separate peace."  
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

Enjoy the miracle of spring once again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montessori in Toddler House: Part 6

by Pam Richardson, Head Teacher

Wow! We've been so busy! During the recent summer-like weather, we made sure to spend a good deal of time outside. Here we are on Walking Wednesday. Sofia and Alexander are playing among the trees.

 

Above, Henry, Sofia, Alessandra, Bella, and Will enjoy each other's company.

 

On our walks, we do a lot of observation and exploration. Henry, Will, and Sam are observing the frog that you see up close below.

Indoors during this windy month of March, we are exploring air motion using an air pump and balls of various sizes, materials, and masses. Below, Silas is engaged in this work.

One recent Monday, we attended our first assembly of the year where the New England Brass Quartet played for us. The music was fabulous and kept the rapt attention of all. We listened, laughed, and kept rhythm by clapping and moving our bodies.

In Toddler House, children are given the opportunity to develop their independence by preparing their own snack. The routine has many steps. First, the student gets a placemat and places it on the snack table. Then, she washes her hands, gets a plate and takes it to the snack shelf. After that she selects one of the snack containers, opens it, uses her hand, scoop, or tongs, closes it, and replaces it on the bottom shelf. Finally, she carefully carries her plate to her spot at the table, sits, and perhaps converses with her peers while enjoying her snack. If she wants a drink, she gets a cup from the shelf, places it on the designated serving tray, then pours the diluted juice from the provided pitcher into her cup.  

Lila sets the table, while Oliver selects snack.

Alexander and Sam prepare their snack, while Tessa gets a glass of water.

Sofia, Oliver, and Andrew enjoy their snack together. Alexander, Will, and Henry enjoy each other's company during snack.  

Above Matthew, Sam, and Alessandra prepare their clementines. 

Bella prepares a clementine while her friends Oliver and Sofia
wait patiently for her to share it with them.

 Above Lila peels, while Andrew cuts a carrot. 

Matthew empties his carrot peelings into the compost bin.

We would like to thank all of the toddler parents for their open and insightful conversations during conferences. It is our honor to prepare the classroom environment and work with your children each day. Thank you for this opportunity.

 

 

Annual Fund Update

Anne-Seymour St. John, Annual Fund Chair

Dear Fellow Stoneridge Parents,

To paraphrase my college fundraising letter;

 “The Annual Fund. Simply participate. At Stoneridge, our small size is an advantage.  Opportunities are more abundant and learning is more personal.  But our size can also be a challenge.  Simply put, our community doesn’t succeed unless everyone pitches in.  Giving to the Annual Fund keeps Stoneridge strong, and strength in numbers is something we can all support.” 

The 40 current Stoneridge families and others listed below have given $79,765 towards this year’s Annual Fund goal of $130,000.  We need the remaining 58 current Stoneridge families to contribute towards the $50,235 we have left to raise in this last quarter of the school year. 

$5 or $5,000, $15 or $1,500, $25 or $2,500, $50 or $500, $100 or $1,000, $1 or $10,000, if you haven’t already given, please participate and make your gift to our children’s school’s Annual Fund now.

Thank you, very much!

 

Anonymous

Stuart and Kathryn Abelson

Lois and William Bairstow

Dan Bernal and Tory Steuber

Anne Brady and William Boesch

Tony Boisvert and Cathy Favreau

Holly Grose and David Buckhoff

Allen and Stacia Chamberlain

Duncan and Cindi Cox

Doug DeAngelis

Kim DeAngelis

Melissa Dimond and Gretchen Putnam

John and Megan Donovan

Albert Ellis and Anne-Seymour St. John

Susan Steiner and Henry Ferrini

Elaine and Michael Fiorilla

Krishna and Sarah Gaddipati

Mark and Alison Gustavson

Trevor and Heidi Hanson

Kellie and Dan Hemme

Scott and Jen Henderson

Mark Holland and Kristen Cotter

George Horner and Amy Sullivan

Jim and Rhonda Kaloutas

Jim Kirschner and Anne Hutchins

Bruce and Jessica Lewis

Leslie and RJ Lyman

Randy and Cynthia Nelson

Michele and Adam Petryk

Ken Riaf and Annette Duke

Ellen and Jeremy Schiller

Saul and Diana Schor

Will and Betsy Shields

Paul and Petra Steriti

Deb and James Thomas

Dan and Lisa Watkins

Mel and Sarah Wolfgang

Yean and Christopher Young

Darryl Zeltzer and Lori Wirth

Dorothy and Adriaan Zur Muhlen

 

Grandparents, alumni families, faculty/staff, and friends

Bill and Jane Boesch

Barbara Clarke

Jay and Jennifer Cornforth

Ralph and Bobbie Curtis

Margery Dimond

Alan Feldman and Carol Seitchik

Dennis and Deborah Grubbs

Thomas and Roberta Hallowell

Kenneth and Meredith Hutchins

Elizabeth Lawrence

David Lieb

Lenny Manzo and Sarah Braucher

George and Nan Mathey

Max and Sarah Mathey

Bill and Suzy McGrail

David and Yvette Putnam

Anne Seamans

Ellen Sears

Cameron Sesto

William and Harriet Shields

Charles Steiner

Henry and Maria-Magda Tomaszewski

Art and Hilje Zur Muhlen

 

 (If I have left you out or listed you incorrectly, please accept my apologies and let me know at oldhousecove@gmail.com)

 

 

 

MS Exchange Shaping our Future World Citizens

by Lois Bairstow

It wasn’t just the Middle School students who had butterflies in their stomachs before the Spanish students came.  I did too.  Would we be able to communicate effectively with them?  Would they like us?  Would they completely balk at the idea of singing my ridiculous ice-breaking song, "Alligator"?  Okay, maybe I was the only one worrying about that last question.  But it actually wasn’t my idea to sing it.  It was the Middle Schoolers’.  A few days before the Montcau La Mola students and teachers came, one of our students suggested we sing the Alligator song with the visitors.  I was quite surprised, and, secretly, pleased.  It’s a very silly call and response song with dramatic motions to go with it.  I was quietly thrilled that our Middle Schoolers felt confident enough to be so ridiculous in front of our guests.  (And when we actually did it, there was a lot of laughter and smiling, so it clearly fulfilled its purpose.) 

I think that word, confidence, as well as the Montessori "grace and courtesy," perfectly described our students’ behavior toward the Spanish students.  As the exchange progressed, I saw many examples of that.  Our MS community expanded to accept these newcomers with kindness, curiosity, and respect for our differences.  I heard the Stoneridge students speak Spanish to their counterparts and carefully listen to the responses.  I saw them share humor, food, clothes, and sympathy.  The first day, I watched them work in teams to see who could design the most effective table-top marble-run and was astounded to see every single person participating.  The first day!  There was a beautiful dance of students stepping forward and stepping back to give everyone room to contribute to the challenge.  Frankly, it should be enough to make anyone feel hopeful about our future world citizens.  And it should make all of us, as a community of students, parents, and teachers, proud. Our Middle Schoolers will visit Spain over April vacation week, and I’m greatly looking forward to hearing the wonderful stories from this trip!

 ahf 3/31