March 20, 2020 | Important Information for Parents to Prepare for Next Week Hello St. Mark's Families,
In normal times, you'd be receiving a message at the end of spring break, preparing to return to campus; but these aren't normal times. I suspect spring break was different for many people this year; it certainly was for our faculty and staff at St. Mark's. Typically a time to refresh and re-energize for the final 10 weeks of school, this year called most of my school team to work in preparation for the weeks ahead. I want to take a moment to express my pride in the hard work and professionalism my faculty and staff have demonstrated, and my gratitude for how they put our mission first, readying our school to care for our children during an extended closure.
There are plans in place to support distance learning throughout our school. Depending upon the grade level of your child, this plan may vary. We have created an Introduction to Distance Learning page on our website; please read the content on it to gain understanding on how to proceed next week.
I recognize that the closure ahead creates significant challenges for some of our families. Many in our community will be working from home, and many may feel the strain of insufficient childcare. We appreciate this challenge in your lives and are doing everything possible to sustain a learning environment in an unprecedented situation. We are all part of this community, working together to make the best of a challenging situation. Many of the elements of distance learning have been considered for some time and are embedded in our Strategic Plan. However, I must remind you, those goals were aimed at being met over the next 3-5 years. We have worked tirelessly to create a version in its infancy over the past few weeks. There will be flaws, and we are committed to being your partner and growing through those flaws. I ask your patience as we grow and that you afford our teachers grace through this process. They want nothing more than to be with your children in a live classroom, where they are all at their best. This is a compromise for them as well.
Our entire faculty and staff are on duty beginning Monday, March 23. Your path to educational support is the same as it has always been; start with the teacher, if you need additional help, contact your division head. Our tech team will be watching closely and providing constant support. Our week ahead will transition as follows:
Monday - Wednesday, March 23-25 Our teachers have created a list of activities and work, which can be found on our Introduction to Distance Learning page. Over the course of these three days, our teachers are working together to be ready for the start of their full distance learning plan.
Thursday, March 26 Distance Learning is taking place in the St. Mark's Portal, in your child's class pages, under Topics.
Thank you in advance for your support as we move forward, I'm so proud and grateful to be part of this amazing community.
Headmaster |