Dear Parents,
Thank you to all for joining in our first round of virtual class meetings, The faculty met to discuss what we heard during these meetings and make some changes to our plans as a result. We will continue this process each week - hearing feedback from the parents and making adjustments as a faculty. Your support and engagement in the process is very much appreciated. Here are a few of the questions/concerns we heard this week:
How can I deliver a lesson to my child(ren) on Monday, when I’m seeing it for the first time on Monday?
- We are adjusting the timing of our digital and paper lesson plan delivery to be available to parents on the afternoon of Friday, March 27th for the week of lessons that will begin on Monday March 30th to give you time to look it over and gain some comfort with it before the week begins.
Why aren’t you doing any “live” virtual lessons or video chats with the students? Will you consider this if the closure is extended?
- We are acutely aware that the nature of human interaction is changing for many of us.
- With the current closure being set through April 3rd, it is our intention to hold the importance of direct human interaction with the children as being of central importance to what we do..
- We will continue to evaluate this if the closure is extended.
- This evaluation will be conducted with the same depth of intention that we invest into everything we bring to the children. This means it is not a quick decision to decide to have virtual interactions with the students. If we move forward in this area due to an extended closure, we will want to do it in a thoughtful way that has depth of intention for the purpose of interacting in this way.
- Please remember that this depth of intention is what sets Waldorf schools apart from other forms of education. Decisions that affect the children’s experience are always made once we have truly worked through what it means for the development of the child as a whole person.
What does student/teacher interaction look like for the week of March 30
th
?
- EC - No digital interaction with students, including phone calls
- 1-3 - No digital interaction with students, including phone calls. Audio files will be provided for the children to listen to the teacher tell a story.
- 4-5 - Students may receive recorded videos or audio for lesson instruction, teachers may have phone calls with students to clarify lesson material
- 6-8 - Students may receive recorded video or audio of lesson material, teachers may have phone conversations with students as needed during office hours.
I am concerned that I will not be able to do all that is being asked of me as a parent in delivering, managing, or monitoring this work for my child(ren). What do I do?
- Breathe in. Breathe out.
- We are most concerned about each child's experience and less concerned about how much content comes to the child. Our expectations are only that each family will do their best given their individual circumstances.
- Try to set a daily rhythm. Hold to it as much as you can. This rhythm will provide the scaffolding the child needs to move through the day comfortably.
- Try to set aside time each day for learning.
- Try to set aside a space in your home for your child to do their school work daily.
- When you meet a challenge, make a note and talk with your class teacher during their office hours, M-F from 1p-3p. They will help with suggestions.
What kind of information might I want to have at my fingertips?
This new form of working together will continue to present us with new challenges. We will work as a faculty to hear your feedback and find new ways to meet these challenges together. Do what you can and do not fret about what you cannot. Again, we are in this together and we will come out of it on the other side stronger. Thank you and be well.
