Goodbye and Good luck Hardys!

By Lynne Marie Stout, Parent of Fearless Falcon Sawyer, Snowboarding Snow Leopard Cael, and Rockin’ Redwood Dashal

When it comes to serving at Village, we all do our best. We all contribute in our own way and our kids all benefit from those efforts. Occasionally, however, Village finds itself the recipient of extraordinary gifts, parents who find space in their lives, time in their schedule even if it is late at night, early in the morning, or in the everyday cracks between one obligation and the next. These parents tap into depths of ability and choose to apply these to our Village community. Jess Hardy is one such parent. Jess’s family has been a part of Village for six years and for five of those years she has served on the PTA Executive Board. She was Secretary, Membership Chair, President, and now Membership Chair again. These are BIG jobs. Jobs that keep the chair holder up nights and at school frequently.

On the list of UNofficial jobs held by Jess, you will find: Center lead, Center aid, CMS Transition team liaison, Village liaison to our district, 3 year Girls on the Run Coach, Field Trip Driver permanent sub, Cooking with Gina Buy-in party host, and more!

With the entire family engaged in Village life, their contributions to this community will be long appreciated. This summer we bid a warm and supportive goodbye to the Hardy team which includes Eric Hardy (also the occasional Field Trip chaperone, lifter of heavy things at school-wide events, and host of Board meetings, among many other things) and their beautiful kids Talyn (5th grade) and Lincoln (3rd grade). This summer the Hardy’s are making the exciting move to Southern California, where they will be closer to extended family (and the beach).

Jess is a truly gifted hostess at heart and she brings that enthusiasm, organization and genuine care for others to all of the roles she’s filled at Village. She’s cool, she’s calm, she’s collected, and she will be greatly missed.

Thank you Jess and your crew. You’ve given us so much!

Q and A with the Hardys

Jess and Eric:

Where are you going and what are you looking forward to?
For our next adventure in life we are headed to San Juan Capistrano in Southern California. As a family we are really looking forward to adventuring and spending a lot more time together. We will be moving next to our very adventurous family members and plan to hike, paddle board, bike, and explore with them!

What is your first memory of Village?
Our first super impactful memory has got to be the Village Camp Out. We had no idea what we were getting into, but had such a great time. We connected with other families and made lifelong friendships.

What grade did you enjoy working in the most?
I have truly loved working with every grade. The kinders are so sweet… and still need lots of helpful adults. I loved sitting with them on the rug and helping them focus.

Then there was first grade. While the kinders are learning to be at school, the first graders are learning how to do school. It was so fun to see their “ah ha” moments and witness such rapid academic and social growth. I learned many parenting skills from our first grade teacher Ms. Shannon. Some that I quickly stole for my parenting tool box were, “And how did you solve that problem?” and “How would you like me to help you?” I learned that these questions empower kids to solve their own problems.

Second grade was another magical year, between helping with our first ever year of the amazing Montalvo Arts program with Michele, to My New Red Shoes drive, to my daughter and her friends scheduling school lunch dates with Mr. Chris (which they still do), and last but not least…. a giant alligator lizard crawling up Mr. Chris’ leg in my car while driving five kids on a field trip, which may or may not have required an emergency stop on highway 85 (yes, of course there’s more to that amazing story!).

I would describe third grade as the rocket launch year. The kids are officially students. Overnight they seem to become more independent, more ready to focus, and more eager to learn. They write books with paragraphs and heartfelt poems, but aren’t too big for a hug from mom, dad, or teacher.

By fourth grade, with my height I can often pass as a student. They are taller and know way more about technology and anything “trending” than I do. The beautiful part for me though, is that they still want parents around. They still say “hi” to me, look me in the eye, still ask for my help when they are struggling, and many still need a hug.

By fifth grade, I am seeing the full circle of the magic of Village. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing tremendous growth and change in so many young lives. All the time that I have invested over the years is reaping huge rewards. I wanted my kids to find a love of learning and they absolutely found that at Village.

I feel very confident that even in a new town and a new school, my kids will be successful. They know how to be upstanders, they love to learn, they know how to solve problems, and they are not afraid to ask questions so they may finds the answers!

What was your favorite school job?
That’s a tough one! I really loved working with Centers. I helped as a lead or assistant every year. I loved getting to work with kids in a small group setting. I know my kids have benefited immensely. They have been exposed to so many subjects and learning opportunities through Village’s centers program. It’s helped them know that their learning is limitless.

What did you learn from Village that you take with you on your next adventure?
To be open minded.

What words of advice do you have for families just starting at Village?
Trust your teachers. Enjoy every moment, it goes by fast. Go Camping.

Talyn:

What has been your favorite memory at Village?
Walden West! My second favorite memory are all the field trips I went on. I went on over 50 field trips as a Village student. My two most favorite were the concert at Stanford University Black Violin and the 4th Grade Trip to Sacramento.

What are you looking forward to next year?
New adventures. I am looking forward to living by the ocean and by my cousins. I will miss my friends so much, but I am excited for new opportunities.

Lincoln:

What is your favorite part of Village?
The field trips! My favorite was the Tech Museum in 3rd grade.

What are you looking forward to next year?
To be able to walk to my cousin’s house.