Dear parents,
We are certainly in unprecedented times! I’m reminded of James 1:2-4:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
While none of us expected to be in this situation, we will certainly all grow through it.
I am writing to address the distance and virtual learning that MRCA is implementing. We are participating with schools around the country to employ a variety of methods to continue offering instruction to our students. There are numerous valuable ways to teach and learn, so we are exploring as many as possible during this time. We understand that the school environment and home environment differ from each other. We should not expect students to do six hours of schoolwork at home. That would be neither realistic nor beneficial for them. Our aim is to continue our students’ routine of learning with flexibility, low stress, and grace. Your child will not suffer academically because of this transition in learning.
Teachers and administrators will be available to answer any questions you may have throughout these next few weeks. We know this is uncharted territory for many parents and want to make this as easy and stress-free (and dare we say fun?!) as possible. Teachers will have their own schedule and method of communication and will inform you of their plans this week.
These weeks at home will provide time not only for academic learning, but also character formation. What a great opportunity for us to model a calm, gracious response to these unsettled times! Let’s use this moment to foster a safe and encouraging environment so we can take full advantage of the extra family time the Lord has given us. Here are some ways to cultivate such an environment:
- Build in time for family prayer/devotion time so you can model bringing your concerns to the Lord. MRPC pastor, Andy Lewis, has written a 7-day devotion to keep our hearts moving from fear toward faith.
- Keep feeding yourself and your family truth from the Bible to balance all the other news and messages that can be overwhelming. Consider using this Spotify playlist of praise music to keep your eyes fixed on our Savior, who never changes.
- Find ways to safely help others who may need it. Someone said, “Wash your hands; then wash someone else’s feet.”
Finally, I want to thank you for your understanding as our school navigates this COVID-19 situation. I’m sure we will have blind spots that need attention, so I welcome your feedback. Our teachers are doing a phenomenal job of transitioning to distance learning. We are so grateful for their tireless efforts to quickly get materials to their students and prepare themselves for this season. We want you and your child to look back on this time with fondness and that you’ll be able to identify the ways your family grew closer together and deepened your relationship with the Lord.
In His service,
Dr. Stephen Reel
Head of School
