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Dear Lower School Families, Time has flown by, and we’re already at the last day before winter break. We have welcomed 30 new students and five faculty members in these four incredible months. As a new mom and faculty member, thank you for making us feel so welcome. In just…

This week has been Meltdown City in my house on all fronts. Between late nights of holiday fun and rushed mornings finding that darn elf and opening up Advent calendars, my kids are spent. In a louder-than-necessary voice, I finally reminded everyone, “This is the season of Joy!!!” I also…

I grew up on a small lake in Northern New Jersey. The lake community is special, kind of like Hallmark-Christmas-movie special. Everyone knows everyone (and is in their business). Everyone learned to swim at the lake, then joined the swim team, turned 15 and became lifeguards, and then turned 16…

This morning was A MORNING in my house. Bryan left for a hunting weekend, and Lyla woke up to find her father missing. This led to an inability to pick out a stuffed animal for school and me picking up my screaming four-year-old, putting her in the car, driving like…

“I miss Captain and Ginger” is a frequent thing you will hear Lyla say. Captain and Ginger were our two 12-year-old Siberian Huskies. Bryan and I got them off the plane from our honeymoon. “Can I get sick and die from this?” is something you might hear from one of…

Lyla is old enough to get on the Phillie’s train but not quite old enough to understand that the train has stopped and we have disembarked until April 😭. Every morning, with her hat on her head and her sweatshirt dragging behind her, she asks, “We goin’ to the Phillies…

This week, I heard some lower school students singing a song. They sang, “In a world full of hate, be the light.” It is a lyric that always catches my voice while singing along and brings stinging tears. This week, it hits even harder. Sometimes, this world feels like a…

It is October. It is the month of pumpkins, corn mazes, orchards, and hay rides. It is late nights of bonfires and early morning sports games. It is the season of pop-up Halloween Spirit stores versus homemade costumes. One of my colleagues (a total crafter) still reminds me of the…

Bryan is away salmon fishing this week. On a typical day, my children sit beside him on the couch and call for my help 695 times an hour. This week, the only person on earth who can help them with anything is their father. The Wagner kids are emotional and…

It was first grade, and the school year was 2020-2021. The year was bizarre for kids, parents, and teachers. We started the year on Zoom, then moved to four days in person. Kids were masked, which masked facial expressions and social cues. Teachers worked hard to build relationships and connections…