April 1, 2020
Dear Friends of Lab,
We are reaching out to connect with you during this time of social distancing and stay at home orders. More than ever your health and safety are on our minds. We know that everyone is making sacrifices and compromises to help our country return to better times. Some days are filled with more news of the uncertainties than we can bear to hear.
We, too, at Lab have had to make some changes — some difficult but some exciting. We thought you might like to hear a “good news” story.
At Lab, we have had a wonderful distraction — the challenge of designing and creating distance learning for our nearly 400 students grades 1 -12. We knew we had the technology and know- how to create distance learning plans for the different ages, but we underestimated the talent of our teachers, clinicians, and staff and their ability to create a plan in a mere two weeks. We discovered that the 21st century communication technology can be adapted to deliver Lab’s
signature teaching methodology; Lab’s treasure chest of best practices is expanding. Our students are participating in video classrooms, taking on independent projects, and staying connected during virtual faculty office hours. We are able to continue the small-group reading, writing, and math lessons so critical for maintaining and growing skills. Our content teachers are exploring so many more sources for sharing information and generating curiosity. Our related service providers have found secure platforms to continue the delivery of speech and language, occupational therapy, and psychological services — those much needed one-to-one therapies during these times. And as digital natives, our students have shown us that not only is technology easier than we thought, but that screen time is as much about social connection as it is about learning content.
We have converted the challenge of beginning a “new school” in the middle of an academic year to an opportunity to enhance a Lab education. We will continue to educate our students through distance learning for the duration of the social distancing advisory. We are learning more every day, and every day a new way to teach a skill or topic is discovered. We will be posting stories, photos, and videos on our website, Facebook, and Instagram to document the creativity and successes we are witnessing. We hope you will take a look when you need a break from the news.
In closing, at this time of national crisis, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to belong to a community of people who are connected by a shared experience with The Lab School. Knowing that we all have supported the mission of Lab over the years, so that it is the highly successful school of today, able to support students with learning differences in a time of great change, gives us a shared sense of pride. Education continues to be the gift that keeps giving be it the best of times or most difficult of times. I thank each of you for being a member of our community.
Although we are working from our homes, Lab is still a team of people wishing to stay connected with you. We would love to hear from you.
Best wishes to all,
Katherine Schantz
Head of School
