Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays Methow Valley Students, Parents, and Community Members,
Wrapping up what can only be characterized as a year signified by continued challenge, complexity, fatigue, and exhaustion, I can’t help but reflect upon the exceptional effort displayed by our students, parents, staff, and community, and feel a deep sense of gratitude.
For me, as an educator, the holiday season has always symbolized a time of much-needed introspection, reflection, and recovery. As a spouse and a parent, it has served as a joyful time spent reconnecting with my family, skiing, sledding, building igloos, and enjoying the festivities of the season. This has typically included stringing lights in a tree in our yard. Not just any tree, but the tree located in full view from our living room.
Different from years past, in the act of doing so, I realized that more than just a festive activity or an effort on my part to combat the darkness of winter, the lights on our tree are symbolic of a kind, caring, selfless, loving, group of people, each connected to one another – shining a bright light upon the darkness – replacing feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, and despair with hope, joy, and optimism, not only during the holidays, but throughout the entire year.
Faced with hard times, it’s my hope that this year’s holiday season provides each of you with time to relax, reflect, reconnect, and recharge in advance of returning, knowing that each of you serve as a bright light, illuminating the path forward in support of our students.
Winter Break Schedule
Winter break officially begins Monday, December 20th and continues through Friday, December 31st. All schools and the District Office will be closed during winter break. Classes resume on Monday, January 3rd, 2022.
Sincerely,
Tom Venable
Superintendent, Methow Valley School District