As I sink ever deeper into a slough of despond about the housing market here in the UK - and my apparent inability to sell my house at any price - I had a simply wonderful email drop into my inbox from the mother of a boy at the school our youngest child is due to attend in the USA next academic year.  Her child is the same age as ours and so they will be in the same year together. 

Receiving this email was a great morale booster:

Dear Family

Welcome.  I wanted to reach out and personally welcome you to the community. We've been at the school since 2001 and it's been a wonderful experience for all of us and I wanted to make sure that you had a personal point of contact here at the school.

If there's any help you need or questions you might have regarding the school, classes, housing or anything that comes to mind, please don't hesitate to call or email me.

We look forward to meeting you and are very excited to have you join the community.

Now I have three children who have been to a variety of schools here in the UK and I have never yet had a letter, phone call, fax or email such as this.  It is truly heart warming.  There is such a concept as "community" - it's just that I, personally, have not experienced it in this way from any school here in Blighty.