Greetings Cypress School Community,

Happy Juneteenth!  We want to acknowledge the importance of the elimination of slavery in our country as we strive to improve justice and equity for people of color.  We acknowledge we still have a long way to go to achieve equality and we are committed to getting there.

We also want to extend a Happy Father’s Day to all our fathers!  We celebrate the support, mentoring and examples you set by being there for all our children. 

I want to congratulate Becca Wilson and the entire Summer Adaptive Behavior Program Team on a fantastic and successful two-week session.  I have been very impressed with our Coordinators, Team Leads, Assistant Teachers and our Instructional Aides continuing to offer engaging, enriching, and educational opportunities for our participants.  Well done team!  I want to thank our participants for attending and we hope to see you in August! 

I also want to give a special shout out to our Behavior Support Team, who are training and learning as new professionals in the field, as well as providing support to families who continue to navigate the challenges of having a child with special needs during a worldwide pandemic.  As a parent of three, with my wife and I working from home full time, I can somewhat empathize, and yet I can’t really compare my experience to the unique difficulties our families are facing at this time. 

We continue to plan for face-to-face instruction, adjusting our preparations as guidance is continually updated.  Until that time, please take advantage of our Behavioral Support Team.  I was able to participate in supporting a family this week with our team and I was proud of the parent reaching out for help.  We try to remind our staff to recognize when they need support and discourage being too proud to do so.  We know that remote support cannot replace in-person support, but sometimes having someone to talk to who knows your child and understands can make a real difference. 

Our Extended School Year begins Monday and our teachers will continue to provide distance learning opportunities.  At the same time, we are very busy transforming our campus, re-imagining our schedules, establishing our best practices, and training our staff to be ready to return as soon as we can.  Sonoma County is currently still in Phase 2 and has guidance from public health and school officials that is different from neighboring areas.  We are monitoring the constantly evolving situation and corresponding guidelines to ensure we can provide the safest environment for both students and staff.  We can’t wait to have your kids back on campus soon!

Sincerely,

Nate Yates

Director of Educational and Behavioral Services