KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES FORGING
BONDS BY DON SUNG (Jackson ’23, Gavin ’29)
Hope was but a timid friend; She sat without the grated den EMILY BRONTË
I think that was one of the funny things, only ever seeing someone on Zoom and then trying to figure out who they were in real life behind a mask,” says Louise Carroll Conner. “I erred on the side of caution and introduced myself over and over again.” Julian Chang joked that “if and when we didn’t have to wear masks, we might not recognize each other!” Julian also noted that hiking in the wilderness of Marin was a popular activity for parents and boys to bond. “It was a joy to see our sons discover sticks, gophers, egrets, hawks, and other natural wonders. They had no problem running four miles along the trails. At the end of the hike, with the setting sun bathing the children with golden light, we realized that what they—and we—really discovered was the treasure of friendship.”
IN EARLY JUNE 2020, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC UNCERTAINTY AND SOMBER NATIONAL MOOD, Tara Boland and the class liaisons for the incoming Kindergarten class hosted the first parent event on Zoom. It was an ice-breaker game called “Two Truths & One Lie” which served to bond the parents together, due to everyone’s evident honesty and commitment. In retrospect, that evening set the tone for the CSB Kindergarten class for the rest of the year—finding creative ways to forge a communal bond while allowing the boys to grow together unaffected by the fog of anxiety. Early on, several committed parents organized twice-weekly soccer practices (compliant with health ordinances) that gave the parents their first non-virtual opportunity to meet in person. “I had some idea how to identify parents wearing masks.
FALL 2021 • RED & GOLD | 17
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