Welcome to the first edition of The Heron’s View!

The launch of the new SRS website opens an exciting means of communication for our school community. Current, past, and prospective families will now have many opportunities to learn what’s happening on campus and how SRS continually evolves to provide the best education possible. This new blog belongs to our entire community — administrators, faculty, students, parents, grandparents, and alumni – and all will have the opportunity to post their musings and participate in our online conversations.

It’s difficult to find an ideal means of communication that reaches everyone. We currently use email, text messages, paper postings on campus, mailings, Saplings, and social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to share news. It is my hope that this new website will be “the great connector” for all this school information, highlighting everything from our programs and events to our unique people. The web site also contains links to our social media accounts. We encourage you to “follow” us on all the SRS community social apps so you can stay informed and participate in our ongoing conversations.

Social technology is a powerful platform that enhances communication and learning. While we recognize the potential risks, it is imperative to teach students safe and appropriate ways of using social technology. This technology is not going away, and school sponsored and controlled apps are some of the ways we can teach our children the benefits of these tools in a safe environment. For example, with YouTube we can share student created videos that most families might not otherwise see. Using Pinterest, teachers and parents can share ideas about homework or student lunch ideas. Twitter posts will communicate timely news and information, and Facebook and Instagram allow us to share stories and pictures from trips, sporting events, and campus happenings. If you haven’t already done so, please return the form granting permission to include your child in social media posts. If you do not want your child to participate, we will of course respect that decision, but it is even more critical that you return the opt-out form.

Keep an eye out for future blog posts on The Heron’s View. We will cover a wide range of topics from educational perspectives to current happenings. Of course, we welcome your suggestions, feedback, and future topics and we look forward to the ongoing, interactive, and exciting dialogue.

Matt Hicks, Principal