Hello Families,

Welcome to our Devonshire Dolphin Family!  As we prepare to begin a new school year together, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you.  Thank you for being on this journey with us, for trusting us with your children.  Thank you for investing your time and energy into making Devonshire a wonderful place to learn and grow.  Thank you for being kind, patient, and understanding as we have navigated the decision-making process necessary to get us to the opening of school.  Devonshire would not be what it is without each and every one of our families who make it special.

“Individually, I am one drop.  Together, we are an OCEAN.”  This quote by Ryunosuke Satoro will guide our mindsets and our vision this year.  Each of us has a unique set of skills and talents that we bring to our community.  Some of us are creative-minded and can envision possibilities that others who are more technical may not be able to see.  Some of us are wonderful with details and can create a strong plan and then see that plan through.  Some of us are gifted craftsmen who can create beauty where it did not exist before.  Each of us is that one drop of water.  No matter what your skills or talents are, you are an important part of our school community and bring something special to our school family.  

But one drop of water alone does not have the power to move and shape.  One drop of water alone can not give life.  When all of our drops of water come together, when we create that OCEAN, we can do great and powerful things.  We can stand together to ensure our students have a rigorous learning experience that supports their growth and development.  We can help our children grow socially and emotionally and to know the support of our whole community.  We can create partnerships that extend our Devonshire community beyond our zip code boundaries and open up new opportunities for our students.  We can do all of these things and we will.  Our ocean is going to be a place where our little Dolphins feel safe, secure, challenged, and loved.

Oceans are ever-changing, always moving, constantly evolving and our Devonshire Dolphin Ocean will be no different.  The start of this year has brought our parents choices about which environment you feel most comfortable with when it comes to your child’s learning.  All CMS students  will begin the year in remote learning.  When data from the Health Department indicates that it is safe for us to begin transitioning back to the school building know that our Dolphin staff is committed to your child’s education and well-being regardless of which setting they will be in.

This year, I am asking one thing from our families and that is open communication.  As your leader, I am committed to hearing your concerns, ideas, and questions.  You are the expert when it comes to your child and I will listen to what you need as a family for your son or daughter to be successful.  I want to know what is on your mind and heart when it comes to school and your child and to determine how we can support your family.  You can always reach out to me at devonshiredolphins@gmail.com or 980.343.6445.

Let’s bring all of our individual drops of water together and create an OCEAN the world has never seen.  Let’s make Devonshire the school that others look to and say, “WOW!  How did they accomplish so much?”  Then, we can tell them that we did it together, one talent at a time, one decision at a time, but together all the time.  This school year will be unlike any other we have seen, so let’s make it positively unforgettable.

With Much Love and Respect,

Kristen N. Hackl

Principal, Devonshire Elementary