Dearest Snow Lion Community,
Though nearly 27 years have passed, it feels like yesterday when I started Snow Lion School in the basement of my rented house in North Boulder, with three dear little children who are now in their 30’s (one now with a child of their own). How time has flown by so ineffably! Snow Lion is my first child, my heart and my soul. I have been the most outrageously fortunate person to get to teach every child who has walked through our doors. With every family that I have come to know, I have watched the warmth in my heart increase. For me, a warm and tender heart is life’s biggest treasure and those who increase our love for all beings are our finest teachers. To say you are all precious to me is the most wild understatement. Getting to do this work, with you, for all of these years, has been a true blessing.
Over the past two years of leading our school during the pandemic and through the massively challenging sewage crisis, I have been pulled more and more into an administrative role. This has had a quickening and clarifying impact on my work. What has emerged is that my passion and energy for working with children, families and education has not waned one bit. I feel as fresh as the day I started teaching when it comes to this field! But I am finished with the day to day intensity of being at the helm of a school now. It is time for a new chapter.
I met Rachel Flax-Kaplan when she first applied for her children to attend Snow Lion. Her application was for her twins, but from her very first inquiry into our school, she expressed a deep passion for early childhood learning and a keen interest in contemplative education. Once her children started school, she started volunteering in any way she could. There was not enough work to keep her satisfied. She was chomping at the bit! Soon Rachel began subbing and the next year we hired her as Connie’s assistant in the Cubs class. A couple things stood out about Rachel as we got to know her: her intelligence, work ethic, genuine love for children and families, heaps of energy and- my favorite of all her qualities- her tremendous self reflection and capacity to accept and integrate feedback. She is a rare gem and the longer she has been at our school, the clearer her qualities have become. She is built to lead a school. So, late last fall, I approached Rachel about an idea that was percolating for me. Through our contemplations and conversations it became clear that an auspicious change was meant to be.
In June 2022, our current Snow Lion School will branch into two new organizations and purposes, Snow Lion Education and Family Services (lead by me) and Snow Lion Preschool (lead by Rachel). Snow Lion Preschool will be just like the Snow Lion you know now but with a different 501c3 and under Rachel’s guidance. I will be mentoring Rachel through every step of the way and will get to be a part time teacher at the “new” Snow Lion Preschool, something I am thrilled about. Snow Lion Education and Family Services will be the next chapter for the current Snow Lion and me. Our intention is to offer free and low cost coaching and support services for schools, teachers, parents and children and to bring what Snow Lion has to offer to a larger population. Supporting Snow Lion Preschool will be the first pilot project for Snow Lion Education and Family Services.
I am excited about the next step in Snow Lion’s journey and I am looking forward to continuing to be in your lives and have you in mine.
With more love than my little heart can contain,
Kristin
