A Message From Dr. Melissa Nelson

A Message From Dr. Melissa Nelson

 Dear WES Families,

I write this message to each of you with the hopes that your family is healthy and that you are able to find some moments in your day that grant you peace, calm, and clarity.  We have entered a period in our lives for which we may believe we arrive unprepared and unable to tackle what seems like circumstances that are insurmountable.  However, I say, "Have faith in who we are, Washington Elementary School Community!"  

I have spent every day of the past 3 1/2 years as a member of this beautifully supportive, uplifting, and collaborative community.  Now, more than ever, I believe in all of the goodness I have witnessed both first-hand and vicariously through stories shared with me by students, staff, faculty, and families, alike.  The WES community is one built on strength, compassion. love, and respect for each other.  I am heartened by the emails I have received from you asking how you can help, while also offering your thanks for the work the staff and faculty are doing.  I am overwhelmed when I hear stories about WES neighbors offering to take each other grocery shopping, or to buy meals and gift certificates in the restaurants owned by WES families, or to check-in on our families who may feel isolated and alone as they are first generation immigrants in the United States.   Faculty and staff have been contacting me day and night, expressing their worries, concerns, and hopes for your children.  Never have I believed more in the incredible power of love and compassion for fellow human beings than I do right now. With all my heart, I believe the Washington Elementary School Community serves as an exemplar model for my greatest hopes for how we can rise above the anxiety and fears we collectively share right now.

Please know that the faculty and staff are working around the clock to prepare the transition in models for the way we deliver instruction.  While they all share the same struggles, stress, and uncertainty as your family, they also all share the greatest desire to provide reassurance, stability, and an incredible education to your child during this time.  

If you or another WES Family you know has a need for food, internet, or financial assistance,I invite you to reach out to me.  Please consider supporting the many local businesses and restaurants owned by WES families.  Finally, and most importantly to me, please consider contacting one other WES family you may not know or who you believe may be isolated financially, socially, or linguistically.  We all need each other. 

If I can be of assistance to you, please contact me via email at mnelson@mtlsd or via twitter @MnelsonWESMTLSD

With Hope and Warmest Regards for our Community,

Melissa Nelson, Principal