May 21, 2020
Dear St. Andrew’s Families,
Next week, the most memorable school year in our lifetimes will come to an end. In the midst of so much uncertainty and isolation, I remain inspired by the enduring connection of our community and the proud way our students and faculty have rallied to make distance learning successful.
As we celebrate our students’ and teachers’ achievements this spring, the school’s leadership is planning carefully for the 2020-21 school year. We know that the coronavirus will continue to disrupt our normal lives and school procedures in unpredictable ways, and we are determined to be well prepared. To direct our 2020-21 planning process, I have established three overarching priorities:
Safety
:
A safe and supportive environment is the foundation on which our students and employees depend to develop their full potential.
Learning
:
St. Andrew’s will continue to be a place where students build skills, master content, and find inspiration in their teachers, courses, and extracurricular activities.
Community
:
St. Andrew’s most distinctive strength is the quality of relationships and connection among our students, faculty and staff, and families. We will nurture those relationships and the well-being of each student and adult Lion.
Depending on local health conditions and the evolving guidelines set for schools by local and federal government agencies, St. Andrew’s will be prepared to conduct school in any of the following scenarios, and to shift among them readily as needed:
- On campus, with careful observance of health and social distancing safety requirements. This is our preferred scenario for 2020-21, and we are working hard to make it possible.
- Virtually, further improving on the robust distance learning programs delivered this spring. We will utilize this model if health concerns require us to close the campus for any part of the coming school year.
- A blended model, which will synchronously combine in-person and virtual learning. This scenario will support students or teachers who can not attend school in person due to health concerns or other reasons. We are upgrading classroom technology campus-wide to make this possible.
To make sure St. Andrew’s will be ready to deliver a safe, exceptional learning environment next year, in April I established five faculty/staff planning task forces. These task forces have already made great progress and will continue to meet during the summer to prepare for September.
Health and Safety
This task force is creating an adaptable, criteria-based plan for safely reopening the campus for employees and students. It is gathering and analyzing health guidelines, assessing every facet of the school day for safety, and identifying programs and procedures that will need adjustment. Health screening, transportation, food service, social distancing, and safety supplies and protocols are primary areas of focus.
Teaching and Learning
This task force is creating multiple academic and staffing models to accommodate smaller section sizes and other anticipated health protocols and restrictions during on-campus learning. It is also developing a Blended and Distance Learning Plan for 2020-21 to address academic schedules and programs, pedagogy, assessment, professional development, and staffing.
Culture and Community Well-being
This task force is updating plans and structure for proactively and responsively supporting well-being, connection, and equity in on-campus, blended, and virtual scenarios. This task force is working closely with the Teaching and Learning Task Force.
Enrollment, Finance, and Staffing
This task force is revising our financial aid and enrollment methods and model to keep our community whole and well-resourced. It is also refining staffing plans for each possible 2020-21 scenario to ensure that we will support students and the community well.
Technology, Communication, and Outreach
This task force is ensuring robust technology infrastructure and communication plans to provide for the strongest possible educational experience and to keep families and alumni connected and informed about school life in an uncertain environment.
In these complex and integrated preparations, St. Andrew’s can draw on many assets. Our small section sizes and low student-to-teacher ratios will help us schedule flexibly. Our deeply experienced administrators, technology leaders, and nurses are used to working collaboratively and to address challenges. Our highly capable and connected faculty embody agility and flexibility, essential qualities in a fast-changing environment. The addition of the Student Center and the Lower School in recent years has doubled the size of our campus facilities, giving us additional space to hold classes and otherwise spread out during a time of social distancing. This will be particularly helpful as we prepare for our Lower School students to return to campus.
I hope this letter gives you a sense of St. Andrew’s commitment to prepare wisely, thoroughly, and creatively for the coming school year. As our planning proceeds, we will monitor ongoing public health and school guidance, and we will keep you informed. You will hear updates in mid-June when we share summer assignments and reading lists, and again in mid-July when we send out schedules for our Upper and Middle School students along with information for ordering books and supplies. By early August we will be ready to communicate definitive plans for what school will look like next fall.
For most of your children, next Friday, May 29 will be the end of the school year and the beginning of summer break. For our fifth and eighth grade families, we look forward to seeing you on campus on July 30 as we honor your children’s transition to new divisions. To my fellow senior families, I can’t wait to enjoy the virtual Class of 2020 Celebration and Awards Assembly with you on June 4, and to award our children their diplomas as we celebrate commencement together at the Washington National Cathedral on July 31.
In closing, thank you all for your strong support for St. Andrew’s and for your children. We have come together as One Pride this spring, and together we will make next year just as safe and successful for our Lions.
Faithfully,
