03.20.20: Evening update

From: Julie Smith, Head of School
Subject: Surveys sent for feedback; assessing week one; unplugging this weekend

Dear Stanbridge Parents and Guardians,

Exhale. It is Friday evening and we made it through the first week of distance learning. As you will soon read, the main takeaway from tonight's update is to unplug this weekend, get away from computer screens (and screens of all types), and spend some quality time with your family—we've included some links and resources below to help inspire you. Before you unplug, however, I again just want to acknowledge our Stanbridge Family. Everyone in our community has been asked to adjust to a radically-different lifestyle with very little time to adjust and settle-in. Last week, we were in school on campus; many of us were working in offices, going out and about with our daily business as usual; our teachers were planning group labs and field trips. Over the weekend, everything changed—our living rooms are now shared-space virtual classrooms and makeshift offices. Our students quickly learned to Zoom-in to an online class. Our teachers quickly adapted lesson plans to deliver remotely. Our administrators quickly figured out the logistics of how to run a K–12 school for LD students remotely, in separate spaces geographically apart from one another. All this, while balancing daily life under the mandate of shelter-in-place to curtail the spread of a global pandemic. Somehow we all got through the week. So again—exhale.

Granted, this week had its fair share of challenges, big and small—it's fair to say that we all expected it would. Our goal is to take the lessons learned from this week and build on the positives, while acknowledging and addressing the aspects that need to be improved, revised, or reconsidered. It is becoming increasingly evident that our mandatory campus closure will extend beyond just a few weeks, which means that our distance learning model is what school will look like for a while. And this is where I need you to stay plugged-in just a little bit over the weekend.

Earlier today, our Middle School and High School students received Google Form surveys asking for their feedback on how this first week went. Tonight, I will be sending a survey to you—all parents and guardians—asking for your feedback. Please check your email inbox for the link, and alert Linda Bargas if you did not receive the email or have difficulty accessing the online form. I urge you to take the time to complete the survey over the weekend, providing as much feedback as you feel necessary. We truly appreciate you highlighting the positives (and there were many—see the post below), but I also ask that you please be (constructively) critical, if necessary, and honest in telling us what is working and what is not. The sooner we know what to fix, the sooner we can course-correct and make this virtual version of Stanbridge work for everyone.

I cannot emphasize enough that we, as a staff, empathize with what you are going through. Many of our teachers themselves are in similar situations—running a classroom from home for Stanbridge students, as well as dealing with their own kids who are likewise home from school. That alone is stressful in and of itself...and then you turn on the news. So there was an almost indescribable sense of joy, satisfaction, and relief when—just a short time ago—our entire staff gathered on a Zoom conference call. Seeing everyone's faces, hearing their highlights of what went well this week, finding that—while challenges exist—there is a genuine sense that we are all still connected to our students, to each other, and to the Stanbridge community. That is helping us to get through some of the more distressing moments that these days present, and I hope you see it as a source of comfort too. Members of the Stanbridge community have helped one another through difficult times in the past, and we are here—together—as a community now. 

And we will be back together, virtually, on Monday. But until then, please take some time to connect with your family this weekend. Not in front of a computer or on a smartphone; share some true family time together. Some ideas can be found here, but even something as simple as cooking a dinner together, breaking out a board game, or making some goofy crafts together can help de-stress, unplug, and reconnect with what matters.

I hope you are able to do that this weekend. As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. And again, thank you for the tremendous patience and understanding you have shown throughout this challenging time. On behalf of our entire staff, we truly appreciate the strength and support of the Stanbridge community. Stay Strong, Bulldogs.