Hello Marcia Buker Families!
I hope you were able to spend a little extra time together over school vacation.
This is just a quick note to say welcome back! We are excited to see our students tomorrow!
We turn the calendar to May on Friday, and we will get the menus and May dates to you before then, along with some Bobcat sightings from the last few weeks.
One Bobcat I'd like to celebrate now is Kerry Gardner. This year, Administrative Professionals’ Appreciation Day fell (as it often does) during April vacation, on the 22nd, so I want to begin this week with a few words about this special person.
Kerry spends her days at Marcia Buker making sure our school runs smoothly—and in any spare moment she has, she’s thinking about how to make it even better. She handles all the tasks one would expect of a school administrative assistant with skill, an eye for detail, and a great sense of fun. That alone would be remarkable. But Kerry brings something much rarer to the role: she cares.
She cares enough to check substitute coverage early each morning and find creative ways to fill gaps. She cares enough to make sure timesheets are submitted on time so staff are paid promptly. She cares that every child—no matter how late they arrive—is welcomed warmly and offered a choice for lunch. She cares enough to call bus drivers or families when a child has forgotten something important.
Kerry cares about students when they’re struggling—helping those sent to the office get their work done and return to class ready to learn, sometimes multiple times a day. She cares enough to carefully review our Dates and Events schedule so nothing overlaps, and then goes further—filling that schedule with meaningful, enriching experiences she imagines, organizes, and brings to life: the Holiday Bazaar, Chewonki, the Planetarium, the Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers, and this year, a new experience she pursued, Within the Whale.
Kerry is always looking for ways to enrich our students’ lives. Sometimes that means finding space for a giant walk-through whale and coordinating classroom visits. Other times, it means helping a child reset with a kind word, a funny photo, or simply a hug. When new families join our school, Kerry makes sure they feel welcomed and supported, often connecting them with resources like the weekend backpack program—something she keeps running no matter what the week brings.
And as if all of this weren’t enough, Kerry is also leading a major effort to improve the Marcia Buker playgrounds. When she shared her plan with me, she said , “I just want the kids to have a better place to play.”
That simple statement says everything. Kerry Gardner sees what’s needed, imagines what’s possible, and makes it happen. Our students, staff, and families are better because of her, and Marcia Buker is a stronger, kinder place thanks to the care she brings every single day.
Thank you, Kerry!
Principal Bobcat
Mary Paine
Principal, Marcia Buker School
28 High Street
Richmond, Me 04357
School (207)-737-4748