Dear Middle School Parents,
I hope you and your families are staying healthy, being mindful of physical distancing, and managing to remain optimistic in these unsettling times. There is a profound sense of loss in our household regarding being with friends, the routine of school, sports seasons, school and family events, and much more. I imagine you and your families share in those feelings of loss. As COVID-19 worsens across the world, our nation and locally, we are reminded that these temporary losses pale in comparison to the significant health concerns and potentially permanent losses that many of us are experiencing or will experience in the near future. If you or any member of your family has fallen ill, or experienced an employment or income change or any other life-changing events as a result of the pandemic, our prayers and positive thoughts are with you. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Our commitment to providing an excellent education and school experience for your children has not wavered, and while we have completed 75 percent of the school year, we have turned our attention to making the final quarter as effective as possible, given the conditions. It looks like we will be engaging in distance learning for at least several weeks and perhaps longer, and I write to share our Middle School Distance Learning Schedule in more detail and our Distance Learning Guidelines, which have been shared previously.
Our advisory sessions went well this morning, and our Distance Learning Program is set to begin tomorrow, March 31. A primary goal for us during distance learning is to engage our Middle School students in meaningful learning while maintaining relationships and connections. We know that our lessons will not look the same, our pace will not be as swift, and our expectations of student performance will need adjusting, but we are also looking forward to providing routine, meaningful learning and community connection in a time where we all certainly need it.
As we enter the first two weeks of distance learning, please understand that our plan will need to iterate, grow and change as we learn more about how our students respond to this mode of learning. We have consulted with other schools locally and nationally, conducted extensive research about online learning, and emerged with this plan that we believe is developmentally appropriate and sound. We will be carefully evaluating and monitoring our program over these first two weeks and will make changes as necessary to achieve our learning goals. We appreciate your patience and partnership with us.
Lastly, on Friday, April 3, we will be sending you a short synopsis of how the first week went and providing you with an opportunity to give us feedback on distance learning from your perspective. Please check your email on Friday for this communication.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, concerns or ideas.
Be well,
Wilson Felter
Director of Middle School