Dear Bronx Science Families:
On the eve of our long (long, long) awaited return to school, we want to share a few deeply sincere, if unsurprising, words about how excited we are about this school year. There are so many reasons we can’t wait to see our kids head out the door: to meet yours, to press reset for an in-person education interrupted, and to get on with the serious but so-much-fun business of being a teenager at one of the best high schools in the world.
The kids have laid out their clothes, breakfasts are planned and the backpacks are ready to go. But as prepared as they may be for tomorrow (and beyond), many of us may be harboring more than normal anxieties about what lies ahead. And, naturally, our kids’ emotions may be mirroring our own.
And that’s why it’s a good time to remind ourselves that our children are resilient and belong to a generation that has already displayed a capacity to confront enormous challenges with a determination and strength well beyond their years. They will rise to the next challenges as well. Our job—as parents, as a Parents’ Association, and as a school community—is to work together to provide the best and safest possible learning environment for them. So for those of you who may have missed it, we would like to repeat our message from September 1st:
Let’s acknowledge that after such an extended hiatus from school, there will be some unexpected bumps on the way back. So let’s also resolve, individually and collectively, to give our teachers, faculty and staff the resources and the latitude they need to help our kids succeed. Having said that, if you need assistance with a school related matter, we are happy to try to help, or you can reach out to our incredible parent coordinator, Cindy Golan at golanc@bxscience.edu. She will likely have much on her plate the first week, but she will get back to you.
We would also like to strongly encourage you to get involved with the Parents’ Association. It’s a great way to stay fully informed about PA activities and the amazing resources available to your child at Bronx Science. It’s also a great way to meet other families. Visit the volunteer page of the PA website here and find something that works for you.
In preparation for tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come, we would like to offer the words of American writer, historian and activist, Rebecca Solnit:
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth’s treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal… To hope is to give yourself to the future – and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.”
If we may, lights out a little earlier tonight, and don’t forget to set those alarm clocks!
Hopefully,
Jerome Kramer and Cliff Stanton
PA Co-Presidents
president@bxsciencepa.org
Thank you to parent volunteer Rhonda Sidial for organizing it.
Please mark your calendars. The first general PA meeting of the year will be held virtually on:
Wednesday, September 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
Freshman parents who are interested in joining the PA Executive Board or the School Leadership Team (SLT) will have an opportunity to step forward. Elections will be held at our October 19th meeting. Look for more details in upcoming newsletters.
Order your official Bronx Science Back to School swag now here. A portion of all sales go to the PA to support critical school programs.
Just a friendly reminder that all freshman families (students as well) are invited to attend a back-to-school social at:
Ellington in the Park
(lower level at the amphitheater style seating/stairs)
W. 105th St in Riverside Park, Manhattan
From: 1:00 to 3:00 pm
TODAY: Sunday, September 12th.
This will be an opportunity to meet incoming Bronx Science families and members of the PA executive board.
RSVP optional, but helpful to
BxSci2025@gmail.com
