Dear Mountain Laurel Families:
As we watch this surreal situation unfold around us it is clear that life is not and cannot be normal. The rapid developments of COVID-19 are causing major disruptions to our daily lives and will continue to create uncertainties in the near future. Acting with an abundance of caution, our school buildings will be closed to students while we continue to monitor the situation and determine how to proceed in the weeks that follow.
The closure of the School is a most unwelcome reality, but we will take this as an opportunity to act with resilience and creative spirit. Our faculty and staff have been working quickly and diligently to minimize the challenges. As communicated on Friday, the College met today to work out the details of remote learning for our students.
First and foremost, the Faculty and Staff unanimously recognize the importance of staying connected with their parents and students through these uncertain times. We are striving to have a unified and cohesive approach to the situation and streamlined communication as a school. Although the faculty will be holding their individual pedagogical sessions with their class, a general teaching schedule has been worked out.
Early Childhood:
We recognize that distance learning is most challenging for our younger students. The Early Childhood teachers will share their daily rhythm, verses, songs and activities with their families through a weekly Newsletter.
Grades:
Keeping the rhythm of the day in mind, Grades 1 through 8 Main Lessons will be provided in the morning while the special subject lessons (Spanish, Sculpture, Handwork, Chorus, Orchestra) will be provided on their usual school days (i.e. if the 6th grade had Spanish on Mondays and Fridays, Senora Marta will still be providing Spanish on those days). All academic communications (main lesson and specials) will be streamlined through your class teacher.
Ms. Tayvah’s tutoring through Zoom will also be kept at its regular time slots.
Items at school:
To facilitate the planned deep clean of our school building, we are asking parents to please collect your child’s items left at school such as, their ‘Ready-to-Go Bag’, change of clothes, musical instruments etc. at the following times:
Tuesday, March 17th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Thursday, March 19th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
We will continue to fine tune our programs beyond the classroom with respect to the soul of Waldorf Education while striving to hold our teacher to student relationships and our Mountain Laurel Community intact.
We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Thank you for your understanding and support,
Sincerely,
The Administration
