Dear parents, teachers, and friends of SSP School,

Happy Friday, hello to slightly warmer weather, and welcome to the weekend! After weeks of cold, we’ve grown far too familiar with our friend the polar vortex. When younger students step outside and exclaim, “It feels like summer!” at 47 degrees—quickly followed by, “I know, I’m sweating to death!”—you know we’re turning a corner.

I didn’t have the heart to tell them that I spent most of this week enjoying daily temperatures that hovered around 80 degrees. Life is a little different in the desert!

Mrs. Tessin has been keeping a careful tally of illness-related absences, and today we have reached more than 70 students out of the building, nearly 60% of our total population. The saving grace was that only three adults were out, allowing us to maintain adequate coverage. I sent a note home yesterday as a gentle reminder: if your child is sick, please keep them home. Even so, we still needed to send an additional dozen students home today. Help us protect the remaining 40% of our school community by exercising caution and practicing common courtesies.

Please know that Mr. Sciaroni and his team are diligently wiping down desks, railings, doorknobs, and light switches each day to help minimize the spread of germs.

Despite the cold weather—and returning to illness in our proverbial “germ factory”—I am genuinely giddy to be back at SSP School. At this stage of my life, there is truly no place I’d rather be. Thank you for all you do to inspire me and draw me back to the ministry I love daily. May all that we do bring honor and glory to God’s holy name.