Winter weather is here, get ready!

Today we experienced something that has never occurred in the almost fifty years I have lived on Bainbridge Island...a tornado warning! This was not something I ever thought I would experience here. Since we have planned for other types of big weather, we quickly mobilized. We ushered all the students inside and spent a half hour in the basement of the church. Teacher Isaac told a story while the Kindergarteners, Preschoolers and Grades students listened. The extreme weather passed just west of us and we were all safe. Below is a sweet picture of us sheltering in place today.

This was a great opportunity to test our school emergency alert system online. I was literally planning to run a test message tomorrow, after I had prepared you all by announcing it in today's newsletter. But nature gave me a chance to test it today. You should have all received a phone call, a text message and an email alerting you of the weather warning and then again letting you know that it was over. If you did not get a message from Madrona School, please email me at hos@madronaschool.org.

And if you are up for experiencing some more climactic intensity, join us for our Lantern Walk tomorrow evening at Battle Point Park. We will meet at 5:30 and will reverently walk and sing to the gazebo at the duck pond. Grades and Kindergarten families please meet in the parking lot just north of the main entrance on the east side of the park. Preschool families please meet in the parking lot on the northwest corner of the park, closer to the duck pond. The Bainbridge Island Park District has requested that we not have any open flames so we have given each student a battery-lit votive for their lantern. I look forward to seeing you all Wednesday evening.