[MurrayMatters] M3 News

[Carmen]

Greetings all,

Three years ago, shortly after we moved to Charlottesville, Rick and I 
were recruited to resuscitate Murray’s after-school 
educational/extracurricular program. We started small, with just a track 
club that spring; M Cubed has since grown to nine classes with 125 
children this winter.

When we started, our youngest child, Douglas, was in first grade – how 
time passes! Doug will enter 5th grade this fall, and then leave Murray 
in the spring of 2010. As we contemplate our family inevitably moving on 
from Murray, Rick and I have been talking with Andy Grider for the past 
few months about the best way to ensure a smooth transition for M Cubed, 
assuming someone new considers it worth continuing.

The plan we have come up with is for Rick and me to work with a new 
person or team in the fall of 09, and then step back and help if needed 
in the winter and spring sessions of 2010. Under this scenario, once 
Rick and I have moved on, the new M Cubed administrator(s) will be 
experienced and ready to run with the program – and to improve / modify 
/ restructure it as they, and the school, may wish.

Now for the reason we are circulating this email:

Someone — or a team of some ones — needs to step forward in order for M 
Cubed to continue in 2009-2010.

For those who might be interested but are not familiar with M Cubed, 
administering the program requires organization and attention to detail 
by a central administrator; once organized (we will help with the 
organization), a number of the program’s tasks can be broken out as 
discrete parts and handled by a team or committee.

Regarding the program’s rewards, Rick and I have found that M Cubed 
provides a number of opportunities to:

* shape the curriculum to your priorities, within the strictures and 
under the guidance of the administration
* get to know a number of students outside your own child’s cohort
* work with potential M Cubed teachers and the school administration to 
achieve the administration’s goals, and
* provide what we hope has been a welcomed service to the Murray community.

We have also enjoyed working with a great group of teachers, many of 
whom have developed their own class ideas.

It is certainly possible that no one will step forward; that outcome has 
been discussed, as well. Rick and I understand that people are busy, 
perhaps particularly so in these challenging times, and that a program 
like M Cubed may be a burden that people aren’t interested in 
shouldering. We also understand that this program may be a passion of 
ours that others do not share. In either case, we are content to let the 
program lapse this fall into its former state of somnolescence; for us, 
the benefits of our involvement will have been well worth the time and 
effort.

Instead, at Andy’s request, we will focus our efforts on compiling, 
organizing, and archiving our notes for Andy and the school, so that if 
someone does come along in the future who would like to make this 
program a priority, they will have an easier time picking up the pieces 
than we did. Andy has kindly indicated that he believes M Cubed has 
benefited the school, and that our experience is worth preserving for 
possible future use. If any of you were to decide that you would like to 
resurrect your own vision/version of M Cubed, whenever that may be, we 
would look forward to working with you.

If you are interested in working with us this coming year and would like 
to know more, please contact Rick or me via email or at 293-9940, or 
Lisa Bowen, our PTO President for next year at clbowen at cstone.net 
<mailto:clbowen at cstone.net> .

Sincerely,

Jane & Rick Kulow