It is always a privilege and an honor to welcome students, families, and staff back to school, even amid the challenging and unusual circumstances of this fall. As school closures continue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are called to adapt and stretch ourselves to serve our community flexibly and creatively, while learning and deploying new tools to meet evolving needs.
To stay on course during a time of uncertainty, we find inspiration in our mission to build a diverse community of joyfully engaged learners and in our vision to nurture a love of learning. But what does this look like during distance learning? We begin with two key principles of Montessori education — meeting learners where they are and personalizing our approach — and adjusted our implementation to better respond to the needs of our community:
We are prioritizing small group learning, for more individualized lessons and more personal community connections with teachers and peers.
We are keeping learning hands-on, providing younger learners with math and literacy materials and challenging older students with engaging projects.
We are offering a blend of live and recorded lessons, balancing core subjects with an enriching array of favorite “specials” – art, kitchen, PE, and theater.
We are increasing tech support for students and staff and added planning time to give staff more time to meet the tremendous demands of virtual learning.
We are cultivating skills our students will need for the future, and fostering tools to support social emotional learning and navigate stress, like mindfulness and meditation.
We are finding ways to continue special traditions, like the International Day of Peace and United Nations Day.
We are engaging new partners, like Guardian Dance for Moving History (Kinetic African American History) and adapting existing partnerships with Outward Bound and the Pratt Library.
We are firm in our commitment to creating a more equitable community. With the help of our partners at Sage Wellness, we are developing an intentional path from awareness to action.
Our virtual learning program is flexible and responsive, with a range of options for families to fulfill learning requirements and receive personalized support.
We continue to listen and learn, with regular sessions like virtual Coffee & Conversation, for opportunities to connect, better understand challenges, and exchange ideas.
Still, our concern and worry persist for our most vulnerable students and families during remote learning. Though it is true that we are all in this together, it is also true that we are not experiencing the effects of the ongoing pandemic equally. To help address these disparities:
- We distributed 195 loaner devices and 15 hotspots, with more shipments expected.
- Weekend food support for families experiencing homelessness will resume in December, thanks to our partners at Heart’s Place Services.
- Our generous community has donated nearly $6,500 to support families with urgent needs.
- We are providing individualized supports, flexible check-ins, and extra follow up for families completing paper packets or attending learning centers and other care settings.
Fulfilling the promise of our mission has never been more challenging or more necessary. Together, we will continue to advocate for a way through that centers our community’s needs and takes us closer to realizing our vision.