One of my favorite books that I read this summer was An Unexpected Forest by Eleanor Morse, a first novel that admittedly hasn’t received much attention. I picked it up because some of the story takes place on Vinalhaven, the Maine island we go to each summer. I figured I’d enjoy the local color even if the overall plot didn’t immediately pull me in.An Unexpected Forest tells the story of Horace Woodruff, a stuffy, 60-ish year old hospital attorney who suddenly gets fired and comes home to find his entire yard filled with 1000 Black Spruce saplings that the National Forest Service has erroneously delivered to his address. He decides to travel to the North Woods of Maine and find the right spot for each tree. Along the way, he is connected with Oz, a young ex-con whom his wife taught in a prison drawing class and who helps him do the planting. Unlikely friends, both men discover the possibilities that a new beginning can provide. They develop capabilities they didn’t know they could, forge deep and lasting connections with people they most likely would have dismissed, learn things far outside their normal scope of interest, and journey closer both to their real selves and those they love.
As I read the story, I thought about the way the start of school offers our children a chance for a new beginning, and what a gift that fresh start is each year. Our students will be stretched to do new things, with new people, in new classroom settings. They will discover new capabilities, new interests, new friends. They’ll have the chance to develop new habits and forge new strategies. They have the opportunity for teachers and kids to see them afresh. And, over the course of the year, our children will grow and develop in astounding ways.
Our teachers and I greatly look forward to being a part of your child’s journey this year. There’s lots of promise, lots of joy, lots of work, and lots of growth ahead. While we may not be planting something as finite as the trees that Horace and Oz do, we know we are nurturing precious beings and that our efforts will have a far-reaching impact. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions or concerns along the way. Our close partnership is what will lead to your child’s optimal growth in 2008-09 and beyond. Welcome back!