Dear parents,
With the 2019–2020 academic year behind us, we turn our attention to preparing for next year. Below you will find important updates regarding our current plans for reopening the building.
Also note that year-end comments and grades were mailed on Friday (June 19). Please notify the front office if you do not receive them by the end of this week.
Returning to School
We have begun the planning process for reopening in the fall, cognizant that the shifting landscape will require flexibility and care. Our aim is to operate in person as much as considerations for the safety of our students, their families, and faculty and staff permit. We expect at the very least that we will need to be running many classes in a hybrid format, with some students and teachers together in a classroom and some participating remotely. We will not only be looking at carrying on with our academic program but with all aspects of our programming (extracurricular, athletic, etc.).
We have an internal working group considering the best structure for us, and we have engaged with a consulting company, Fusion Cell, which has extensive experience managing infectious disease control in high-risk environments, including U.S. military bases around the world. We expect to have their assessment and a menu of options in early July, and in the weeks following, relying on their work and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) guidelines that will be coming out in the next month, to develop plans and protocols for operating safely.
As our options come more clearly into view, we will reach out to you for input and to work with families to develop plans that work for them. We also will be looking into the question of transportation to and from school. We expect to have plans that we'll be able to communicate in early August, with the caveat that, as conditions change, we will continue to adapt.
Remote Learning Feedback
We are eager to hear your feedback on Virtual Commonwealth and our approach to remote learning, both positive assessments of what worked well and suggestions for improvement. You are welcome to share your feedback here. The survey will be open until July 1.
Our faculty and staff will use your responses to help us plan the 2020–2021 academic year. We will not share survey responses with the broader Commonwealth community (students, families, etc.), but we will check back in again later in the summer when we have more information to share.
Academic Calendar
You will find our current 2020-2021 Academic Calendar on our website. Please note that all events are subject to change. You can direct questions to the front office in the interim.
Summer Reading
Students should have received their summer reading lists from Ms. Johnson. You can learn more about summer reading on our website as well.
Information regarding course requests, back-to-school forms, ordering textbooks, and additional academic considerations will be shared in the coming weeks. Finalized student schedules will be sent at the end of August. Please email Acting Director of Studies Rob Sherry if you have questions about courses in the interim.
Until then, I hope your summer is off to a healthy and restful start.
Warmly,
Mara Dale
Acting Assistant Head of School