It has been wonderful to hear the happy sounds of children across the Hyla campus again. Laughter and delight resonating across the meadow. Lively conversations connecting friends and teachers during lunch. Excitement and competition, and even silly animal motions, while playing Spanish games with Señora Ivonne. So good to be together.

Art teacher Kate started the school year with her sixth graders by leading them through a drawing exercise that explored how to stretch outside of your comfort zones. Working in pairs, students took turns either drawing portraits with pen and paper or posing for each other, maintaining six feet of social distancing. Attaching a yardstick to the pen and clipping the paper to the top of the tent added extra challenge to the experience. As Kate discussed with the sixth graders, the Stretch Zone, between the boring Comfort Zone and the terrifying Panic Zone, is the best place for learning, where we feel both excited and uncomfortable, both uncertain and alive. Based on the students’ responses to this exercise, the Stretch Zone is also a place filled with vulnerability, fun, and laughter.