A few mid-summer announcements…

Dear Hawbridge,

SaxConnex Internship

Dear Hawbridge,

As some of you may know, The Hawbridge School started an internship program this year.  We fondly refer to the program as SaxConnex, and it has served approximately 8 students.  We are extremely grateful for our community and business partners who have fostered a rigorous and rewarding environment for our students.  Recently, someone shared an article with me about the importance of “learning from masters.”  A link to that article can be found here.

Thanks to Ms. Osborne for her work on this endeavor.  We look forward to expanding this program next year and offering even more opportunities for our students.

Mr. Moles

How can I use media to teach my kid empathy?

An article by CommonSenseMedia.org.

How can I use media to teach my kid empathy?

Many parents worry that cyberbullying, trolls, and rude behavior have taken over the internet. While it may seem that the online world has worn away our empathy, many studies show that kids and teens develop strong, supportive online bonds both with known friends and those they’ve met online. And there are plenty of examples in which an outpouring of empathy has swept through pop culture, the internet, and other mass media. The jury is still out on whether that trend will continue. Read full article.

Inclement Weather Procedure

Dear Families,

As these cold temperatures arrive in our region, I am reminded to ensure everyone knows our procedure for announcing school closures and delays due to inclement weather.  Hawbridge will always keep the safety of students and families in mind as we make these decisions.  We realize many of our students drive themselves, as well as some of their friends, to school each and every day.

With that said, it is important to note that our students reside in a large geographic area.  This sometimes presents a challenge when making a decision for a delay or school closure.  Please note that we will consult with traditional public school systems in our region, including Alamance, Durham, Chatham, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City, Guilford, Orange, and Wake, as well as regional charter schools, on their plans when inclement weather does impact our region.  However, The Hawbridge School will not necessarily close school or delay our opening simply because a county school system, including Alamance, has closed or is operating on a delayed start.  Those school systems have the tremendous responsibility of transporting students on buses – buses that may be traveling treacherous secondary roads.  For good or bad, we do not operate a public transportation system and therefore, have more latitude in when and why we close school or delay the start of the school day.

We will notify parents and families of our decisions through this website, our Google Group, Facebook, Twitter, and local TV stations (WTVD 11 and WRAL in Raleigh; and WFMY2 and Fox 8 in Greensboro).  Those announcements will be made on behalf of The Hawbridge School and will be labeled as such, not in affiliation with any traditional school system.

We realize families must continue their jobs and school closures can sometime cause logistical problems. We will keep those factors in mind as well, along with the continuity of our educational programs, but student safety will always be the number one priority.

We appreciate your attention to these details.

Respectfully,

Mr. Moles