Education Guide 2020-2021 by Moffly Media

2020-2021 EDUC ATION GUIDE

Evolving Education The changing roles of teachers, learners and leaders

PLUS!

TIPS FOR STUDENTS from education experts pg 40 THE SILVER LINING of distance learning pg 38 FRESH FINDS for fall school supplies! pg 26 A CUSTOM PUBLICATION PRODUCED BY

A PreK-12, coeducational day school in Westport, CT

Known and Loved Students are at the center of everything, as known and engaged partners in their own learning. The PreK through 12 experience offers a unique opportunity for continuity, development, and the building of lifelong relationships. Come learn more about the GFA experience 203.256.7514 | www.gfacademy.org

2020-2021 Education Guide

EDUC ATION GUIDE 2020-2021 PUBLISHED BY MOFFLY MEDIA Publisher & Editorial Advisor Hilary Hotchkiss

Simsbury, CT A vibrant, private, independent boarding and day school for girls in grades six through 12 plus postgraduate

Art Directors Garvin Burke Venera Alexandrova Design Assistant Taylor Stroili Editor Elizabeth Hole Production Director Kerri Rak Digital Media Manager Amber Scinto Market Editor Megan Gagnon

President Jonathan Moffly Vice President / Editorial & Design Amy Vischio Vice President / Treasurer Elena Moffly

Dream. Create. Lead.

At Walker’s, girls grow in their confidence and in their sense of higher purpose. They flourish – with each girl knowing that she will become the person she is meant to be. Students acquire, analyse, apply and integrate knowledge, allowing girls to take intellectual risks and discover their unique talents and aspirations. As girls participate in all aspects of student life, they are mentored by dedicated faculty, coaches and school leadership to be successful and fulfilled.

Join us for an Open House! October 12 • November 9 • December 7

Founder & Editorial Advisor Donna Moffly

For all inquiries regarding education marketing, contact Hilary Hotchkiss: Hilary.Hotchkiss@Moffly.com Digital version of the 2020-2021 Education Guide: ilovefc.com • greenwichmag.com newcanaandarienmag.com • stamfordmag.com westportmag.com • fairfieldlivingmag.com

2020 EDUCATION GUIDE 1

2020-2021 Education Guide

Contents features

New Landscape

Civic Spaces

Developing Leaders

Remote Learning

Having Hope

Curtain Call

Adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by Rick Branson Teaching the concept of shared humanity by Emily R. Gum and Peter Becker How schools can pave the way by Kate Parker-Burgard Virtual curriculums to ensure student growth by Audrey Noyes Ludemann A time for resolve, resilience and reinvention by Dr. Meera S. Viswanathan Taking center stage at any age by Rocco Natale

departments

fresh finds // Best in Class

words of wisdom // The Silver Lining of Distance Learning

40 40

expert advice // Tips for Students

Stylish supplies for a new school year by Megan Gagnon

Educators share the inspiring results Reflect, be authentic and follow your interests

directory // School Search

Connect to a school and find your fit

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY ÂŠ PESHKOVA - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

An independent, college preparatory day school, providing character-based education for boys in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12.

Preparing boys for life since 1902.

VISIT

BrunswickSchool. org to learn more abou t our admission process.

2020-2021 Education Guide

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2020-2021 Education Guide

New Landscape Adapting to the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rick Branson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS (CAIS)

PHOTOGRAPHY © HALFPOINT - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

n January 2020, I was kicking around an idea for this article that had the working concept of “Education in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” In February, the article gained some shape when I spoke on the topic. By the time the deadline was becoming real enough that I put words on a computer screen, Covid-19 had shuttered schools in Connecticut, closed restaurants and prompted a recommendation for public gatherings to be limited to 10 people. Within this reality, I looked back at my notes about the context for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. What would define it and give it shape, and what would be its attributes? I had no intention of writing this as a first-person essay, and I hope you will pardon me for doing so, but things felt very real and personal in March when I looked at what would define the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As background, we commonly recognize the First Industrial Revolution as one of harnessing steam power for mechanized production and the Second as utilizing electricity for mass production. The Third was often thought of as an information revolution using digital power. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is then one of a fusion of technologies at an incredible velocity. Here was a working list of the qualities for the Fourth Industrial Revolution I had gleaned from futurists, economists and educators: Smart technology, artificial intelligence, big data, augmented reality, blockchain, internet of things, automation, mobile

supercomputing, intelligent robots, self-driving cars, neuro-technological brain enhancements, genetic editing, quantum computing, 3-D printing and more. But authors also said the Fourth Industrial Revolution would be shaped by rapid population growth, climate change, growing inequity and pandemic illness. That last one certainly resonated. The question for us as educators is: What does it mean for students who will be part of this epoch, this definable moment of time? Our collective experience in the spring of 2020, and the presence of a pandemic, give us some fairly tangible insights. History suggests that with each industrial revolution, new technologies or innovations came on line, and those new technologies or innovations caused disruption to the world economy, to the role of workers, and to the education of people who became those workers. In fact, at times education has been the industrial process that produces workers for the needs of industry. It may be trite to say now, but the World Economic Forum in 2016 stated that 65 percent of students entering primary school will work in a job that doesn’t exist yet. If that is true, and it likely is, then education has to mean so much more than it has meant previously. The value is not in a teacher who has memorized information and processes, teaches those bits of information and processes, and successful students who can repeat those back at a rate of 92% accuracy on a test. Munozovepi Gwata, founder of Kukura Capital,

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2020-2021 Education Guide

wrote about rethinking three things in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including education. In a piece published by the World Economic Forum on August 5, 2019, Gwata wrote: “Traditionally education has been monodisciplinary, and the further a person went along in their studies, the more focused and narrowed those studies became.” I think most of us have experienced this, and yet Gwata wrote that learning now needs to be more “interdisciplinary.” I would add that includes stitching together social emotional skills with higher cognitive skills and the development of technical expertise. Gwata also said that people need “in-depth knowledge” as well as a broad skill set

“While we might well focus on the changing educational landscape for students, the success lies in the work of our teachers and their design capabilities, their innovation and their collaboration.”

RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL www.ryecountryday.org MISSION

COMMUNITY

"... a co-ed, college prep school dedicated to providing students from Pre-K through Grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches." - Excerpt from the RCDS mission statement

Rye Country Day has a diverse and inclusive student body. 900+ students come from a 20-mile radius surrounding the School, representing 41 school districts from NY and CT. 35% of students self-identify as people of color.

CORE VALUES

R ESPECT AND

RESPONSIBILITY

C OMMITMENT TO

PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

DIVERSITY WITHIN AN

INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

SERVICE

8:1

Student/Faculty Ratio

Lower/Middle School Clubs

50+

Upper School Clubs

Avg. Upper School Class Size

Interscholastic Sports Teams

Dining Halls (serving healthy lunch and snacks to all grades)

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FOUNDED

1869 Not for Self, but for Service. - School motto

TUITION $38,400 in Pre-K to $46,900 in Grade 12

FINANCIAL AID RCDS distributes $6.1M in need-based financial aid grants to 16% of the student body funded in part by the School's $61M endowment.

COLLEGE MATRICULATION The most popular college matriculation choices for RCDS students 2016-2020 (number of students attending in parentheses):

Cornell University (34) | University of Pennsylvania (27)

CAMPUS & LOCATION

FAST FACTS

so they have the ability to learn in fields outside of their specialization. This duality of both in-depth knowledge and the ability to learn on one’s own will be essential. No one will “leave school” with a complete knowledge set that will serve them throughout their careers. Further, with the need for interdisciplinary learning, independent schools and students have already “de-silo-ed” the traditional subject-center curriculum and have begun to infuse it with both social emotion and technological understanding. In my tours of independent schools, I believe this is happening. In the writings of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this quote from American writer and futurist Alvin Toffler is often referenced: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” I believe this means that “education” will have to promote skills and dispositions that go beyond content to providing an opportunity to innovate, think critically, solve abstract problems and integrate technology. Education will have to prepare students for viruses, among other things, that have not previously been discovered, that act differently, and

The 26-acre campus features state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and creative facilities and is conveniently accessible by train and car. Students and faculty commute from Fairfield and Westchester counties and New York City.

Harvard University (19) | New York University (17) University of Michigan (15) | Vanderbilt University (14) Washington University in St. Louis (14) Brown University (13) | Duke University (13) Georgetown University (13) | Michigan University (13) Northwestern University (12) | University of Chicago (11) Bucknell University (10) | Colgate University (10) University of Southern California (10) | Yale University (9) Columbia University (7) | Lehigh University (7) Stanford University (7) | Wesleyan University (7)

2020-2021 Education Guide

that disrupt society. Bernard Marr in his article “8 Things Every School Must Do to Prepare for the 4th Industrial Revolution” wrote that the challenge was, “how to prepare the next generation to take advantage of the plethora of opportunities and overcome the challenges by everincreasing technological change.” Marr wrote that we would have to redefine the purpose of education. In all industrial revolutions, education has responded to the needs of society, and in this revolution, education would not need to prepare students to “do something" but rather prepare students to “do anything.” Further, today’s students are beginning to learn— anywhere and everywhere. This goes beyond the early, experimental days of “distance learning” where we simply digitized 19th and 20th century educational practices. Early programs standardized content so it could be delivered to lots of people, cheaply. Now we will have to call upon distance learning to aid students and teachers working together to help both be designers of education and thus design the education for an individual student. Independent schools were well-prepared for this new landscape, and already

engaged in it, and leapt into the opportunity Covid-19 mandated. Distance learning, or the more appropriately called “Continuity of Learning,” meaning it moves easily in and out of classrooms, on and off campuses, must help students develop the essential future skills necessary to use technology (e.g., blockchain) to address world problems (e.g., pandemic response) such as creativity, empathy, ingenuity, entrepreneurship and collaboration. And it needs to provide students the opportunity to use them across continents and time zones and to provide a dynamic and responsive platform for meaningful interaction. This also means helping students see their investment in themselves and student peers is not just to help a tech company boost its IPO, or develop better algorithms to sell products. In our postCovid-19 days we want students to invest their skills and talents, their time and their passion into helping all of us succeed in a time that we cannot yet imagine, but perhaps they can. The Fourth Industrial Revolution marks a time of rapid innovation that changes the business we do and how we do it in schools. It also marks a time of

At Westminster School, students develop grit and grace in a setting that boasts some of the finest facilities in American private schooling. For information about upcoming Open House events or tours, please call the Office of Admissions at (860) 408-3060.

Co-ed | Boarding & Day | Grades 9-12 | 200-acre campus | Founded 1888 Simsbury, Connecticut | www.westminster-school.org | (860) 408-3060 Westminster School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry and/or disability. WES_MofflyMedia_SchoolGuide_2020.indd 1

5/18/20 7:51 PM 2020 EDUCATION GUIDE 7

2020-2021 Education Guide

education revolution with an opportunity to rethink how and what we teach and learn, the role of teacher and student, and the future of education design and delivery. It is often said that machines will “take over our jobs” in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I think it's safe to say that more jobs that exist currently can and will be performed by machines. It is difficult to imagine, simply from a lack of understanding what the future holds, what new jobs will emerge. Again, we may not have imagined those jobs would exist. There are, of course, things that humans do and have and experience that cannot be replicated: creativity, physical and emotional agility, entrepreneurship, a passion for discovery, mindful social interaction, collaboration. With the recognition that teaching will be less about delivery and more about design, the role of teachers changes as well. In a 2018 policy brief from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the authors wrote that the textbook and measurement system that currently drives educational delivery can itself be replaced by a computer. I think that is what we witnessed in the early days of distance learning.

But the OECD wrote that what is unique about human teachers is “the personal and social activity that caters to unique needs, talents, interests, passions and can change.” While we might well focus on the changing educational landscape for students, the success lies in the work of our teachers and their design capabilities, their innovation and their collaboration. From first-hand experience in our independent schools, I believe teachers are beyond ready for this work, and again, amid Covid-19, they demonstrated, as did our students, the ability to readily adapt and innovate as school leaders gave them the necessary support and tools as well as the independence. Covid-19 gave schools and communities motivation to press forward and a glimpse of what could be, and I believe, what needs to be. I do not think we are waiting for another precipitating factor to inspire us, as the future in the Fourth, or Fifth, Industrial Revolution is now. I am confident our independent schools are ready for whatever the future may bring, and they have demonstrated their agility and commitment to the evolving role of teachers, learners and leaders.

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Greenwich Country Day School Learning that matters: Nursery – Grade 12 Preparing young people to learn, lead, and thrive in a world of rapid change From nursery to twelfth grade, learning at Greenwich Country Day School is challenging, relevant, and purposeful. Through inquiry, analysis, public speaking, transdisciplinary experiences, and opportunities to present their work in exhibitions and apply their learning to real-world situations, GCDS students gain a strong academic foundation and Greenwich Country Day School is a co-ed, independent Nursery – Grade 12 college preparatory day school in Greenwich, Connecticut that graduates ethical, confident learners and leaders with a strong sense of purpose—ready to embrace opportunities and challenges in a world of rapid change ↗ www.gcds.net ↗ 203-863-5610 ↗ admissions@gcds.net ↗ 401 Old Church Road Greenwich CT 06830

acquire critical skills, habits of mind, and confidence.

A co-educational, independent, Nursery – Grade 12 school located in Greenwich, CT, GCDS is a joyful environment where curiosity and creativity are valued, \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ resilience is cultivated, and the health \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ and well-being of every student \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ is essential.

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2020-2021 Education Guide

Civic Spaces Teaching the Concept of Shared Humanity Emily R. Gum ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

Peter Becker HEAD OF SCHOOL THE GUNNERY

s we all look ahead to returning to school after an unsolicited experiment in online learning that highlighted, among other things, the incredible power that participating in a school community wields in the lives of children, families and teachers, we have an opportunity to consider what role we want schools to play in shaping young people and preparing them for the world and adulthood. Most schools face a demographic challenge when it comes to building diverse, inclusive communities. Unless you reside within a dense urban center (and even then), we know two things: 1) we school regionally, and, 2) we live near those most like us. As Bill Bishop described in his 2008 book, The Big Sort,Americans are increasingly living in dense communities of like-resourced and like-minded neighbors, and the research on this seems to be continuing to trend in this direction. The impact of this “sorting” on American schools is captured in Robert Putnam’s O ur Kids.Not only are students in communities and schools that reflect their own identities, but, he writes, “fewer and fewer successful people (and even fewer of our children) have much idea how the other half lives.” This means that our public and private schools are by definition parochial; that is, they have a limited scope. Very few of America’s schools actually embody the full diversity of our national landscape, let alone the global landscape, and all trend forecasting should lead us to the conclusion that they are not going to any time soon. As parents, we experience this "sort"as a tension in the upbringing of our children. We desire for our

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children to grow into responsible and just neighbors, colleagues and citizens. We know diversities of thought and experience lead our children toward creative thinking and inclusive practices, which ultimately leads to their happiness and prosperity in a digitally mediated economy in a global world. And yet, most school options in front of us do not, and perhaps cannot, represent anything like the full diversity of the American experience, not to mention the world. And, is it fair to ask this of our schools? As school leaders, we would claim that, in partnership with parents, it is the role of schools to help navigate this tension. It is our role to create a compelling vision and path for students to engage with the fullness of what it means to be human, and specifically what it means to be alive in this dynamic, global and digital time. We partner in this work as much through the life of community that we forge in our schools as through the curricular decisions we make. Ultimately, it is by engaging in the most holistic ways we can with our students that we help them navigate their own particularity and rootedness, while at the same time we introduce them to those different than themselves. The first tension to confront parents is the very choice of school itself. Public schools, including magnet and charter schools, can forge ties across regional, neighborhood-level community differences. The outcomes of schooling models that prioritize just inclusivity are promising, especially in urban centers, but not all of us live in regions or districts where this is a meaningful choice. And, further, parents often choose

“ We wondered, ‘What could we do to help Above & Beyond the community?’ We wanted to spread kindness in these unkind times.” - Arjan Kochar, 6th Grade

If you wonder whether young people can really be leaders, look no further than St. Luke’s Middle School students Arjan ‘26 and Nihaal ‘24 Kochar. The brothers wanted to alleviate some of the suffering caused by the Coronavirus crisis. They launched Zouchers.com—a website supporting small, family-run businesses. Watch the Kochars’ interview with Head of School Mark Davis at www.stlukesct.org/slsheroes

On campus and online... An Exceptional Education. www.stlukesct.org/visit St. Luke’s is a secular (non-religious), college preparatory day school for grades 5-12 and a Best Private High School in CT - niche.com 203.801.4833 | 377 North Wilton Road, New Canaan, CT 06840

2020-2021 Education Guide independent schools, instead of public schools, because of our explicit commitments to particular educational philosophies. To this we would say, learning to live really well with an intentionally tightknit school community has important civic purposes, even when schools do not represent the full scope of the American demographic landscape. Parents, and students, would be wise to interrogate a schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding of itself as a place for civic practice. What does this mean? First and foremost, students become responsible and just citizens when they are at schools that understand themselves as civic organizations. Schools build communities because at our best, schools are microcosms of our political whole. We are institutions where families join together, either around shared geography (in the case of public schools) or shared philosophy (in

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our role as educators is to help introduce each of our students to a reality that is bigger, broader, more complex and more diverse than any of the individual, parochial realities in which we live.â&#x20AC;?

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the case of independent schools) for the sake of nurturing children into the understanding and practices that will shape their future. Since the earliest days of formalized education, parents, teachers and politicians have known that the cultivation in schools has profound civic implications. Educators are not remiss in the anxiety they feel to create inclusive, diverse and equitable schools, and very simply, the first question parents can ask is: Does this school understand and have a compelling vision of its responsibility to help students grow into responsible and just citizens? Some schools, like universities and boarding schools, are able to intentionally recruit and welcome students from around the United States and the world. For 170 years in our case, we have been living and learning in an intentionally diverse and inclusive community, and though like all schools our history shows a checkered past, today we are as committed as ever to the humanistic instinct of our founder, Frederick Gunn, who welcomed his first Chinese exchange student in the middle of the 19th century, educated boys and girls in his school on the green in Washington, Connecticut, and taught the children of prominent abolitionists, including Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as having educated freed children at his first school, in Pennsylvania. While the ability to welcome an intentionally

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2020 EDUCATION GUIDE 13

2020-2021 Education Guide diverse and global community is a distinct advantage of the boarding school model, what is more important, we would argue, is the ability of every school to have a vision of what participation in this intentional educational community amounts to. Whatever a school’s demographic make-up, does the school have a leadership, or at least a history, that shows a commitment to the building of an inclusive, strong school community where students leave knowing it is their charge to be a force for good in the world? The second question parents can ask of potential schools is as follows: Given that every school—even the most inclusive and global schools—is going to embody a discrete and limited community at any given time, is the school committed to the teaching of a humanistic curriculum that explores the full range and capacities of human experience and ingenuity in its most diverse and global forms? As the best of teachers have always known, the very act of learning—of expanding our understanding and imagination—can reinforce the idea of a shared humanity. In her book Education and Equality, Harvard political philosopher Danielle Allen introduces the idea of the “humanistic baseline,” which she says is “the idea that education begins as an effort to unfold or awaken the powers

that mark us as human, the first of which is language.” As history attests and global debates today reinforce, education is an emancipating force for individuals. Take James Baldwin’s 1963 essay “A Talk to Teachers,” where he says, “The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity.” From the Ancient Greek philosophers on, we have understood the centrality of education to the good of society, and through the twists and turns of education finding expression in declarations of human rights around the globe, there is no debate today that education, as a social practice, is necessary to achieve the common aims of humanity: freedom, peace and progress. Part of the teacher's charge is to help students increasingly, and in developmentally appropriate ways, understand how unique and particular our time is, the contingency of the fact that we find ourselves here, now and not there, then. The very purpose of education is the reinforcement and expression of our shared humanity. This is

OUR DOORS TO LEARNING ARE ALWAYS OPEN Learning at Masters transcends the walls of the classroom. Our students continue to thrive in a connected world.

49 Clinton Ave., Dobbs Ferry, NY | mastersny.org | 914-479-6420 | Coed, Grades 5-12. Day, 5- and 7-day boarding

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2020-2021 Education Guide the transferable social good of schools: to build and nurture these discrete civic spaces, each practicing our shared humanity on a daily basis, and our students learn to turn the institutions that they will lead in the future into the same. For those of us lucky enough to teach in a boarding school environment, we see this possibility lived out in a truly diverse and global community on a daily basis (albeit an imperfectly representative community). Students live, eat, study, sleep, play sports and brush their teeth alongside those who come from different backgrounds than themselves. Students do this in the context of a shared educational philosophy that gives teenagers and adults alike a purpose for being in community with one another. And, at our best, we move beyond merely tolerating one another and toward a truly collaborative whole. Even in day schools where this level of community is not possible, the goal still holds for schools to take whatever community they have and intentionally build their school into a shared civic space. This capacity to build something good, a tiny vision of joint life across difference, is itself a desperately needed transferable civic good. Our role as educators is to help introduce each of our students to a reality that is bigger, broader, more complex and more diverse than any of the individual,

parochial realities in which we live. This is the learning outcome that is a civic outcome: the ability to welcome diversities in all of their complexity in the never-ending work of building inclusive communities that do not lead to uniformity of thought. Students learn the building blocks of success in our interconnected and interdependent worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to disagree with one another and with the reigning assumptions of the moment in creatively disruptive and innovative ways only after acknowledging the inherent dignity of the human on the other side of the debate. Every day the best teachers introduce students to their own humanity, and that of their neighbors, in all of its particularity and contingency. The pressing question for schools is how to do this so students leave local schools and communities ready to contribute to the neighborhoods, businesses, institutions and communities that will define their adult lives. It is easy for schools and families to lose sight of the primacy of this formative process. When you find a school that is intentional about this work then choose it confidently, whatever other attractions it may have, knowing that the educational benefits it will offer your child will be lasting and impactful in their development as lifelong learners and active, engaged citizens in the world.

FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE Greenwich Academy is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls in pre-kindergarten through 12.

greenwichacademy.org/admission

2020 EDUCATION GUIDE 15

2020-2021 Education Guide

Developing Leaders How Schools can Pave the Way

Kate Parker-Burgard DIRECTOR

ST. LUKE’S CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP

cannot recall a time when the value of developing strong leadership skills has been more evident. The coronavirus pandemic has tested our collective spirit. Each of us has been grateful to those able to rise up with calm and wisdom to lead us forward. Our own Head of School holds a weekly online discussion with parents entitled, “Calm & Kind.” As we hurtle toward an uncertain and rapidly accelerating future of change; as our world grows smaller and more intricately interconnected (as the coronavirus ferociously demonstrated); as unprecedented volumes of new people, technologies and ideas spring to prominence on the global stage, we find ourselves desperately in need of care, thoughtfulness and leadership from a new generation. We need more people with the desire and ability to move their communities forward. But where do skilled, compassionate leaders come from? How do they learn to lead? Schools can play a central role. Even very young children have a voice, a perspective and contributions to make. Students of all ages can learn what it means

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to be ethical and empathetic leaders. Schools can help students build skills that open the door to authentic leadership: effective speaking and listening, social and emotional agility, creative problem-solving and collaboration. Year by year, through practice and abundant leadership experiences, students’ confidence to lead will grow. It starts with a belief: Everyone possesses leadership ability. Schools can begin to awaken their students’ inner leaders by asking the right questions... How can I be creative? When we ask students to ponder this question, they start to see it as a tool. This solution-seeking mindset inspires students and faculty to eagerly take on challenges because it’s hard fun to figure stuff out. Leadership Skills Developed: Empathetic Problem-Solving, Design Thinking Who is on my team? Good leaders don’t go it alone—teamwork is an

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essential mark of compassionate leadership. Schools can foster an inclusive ethos: When you share a common purpose, diversity and inclusion have great value. Leadership Skills Developed: Inclusion, Collaboration What is the impact of my action? Building confidence through leadership requires young people to understand the ramifications of their decisions and their interconnectedness with local and global communities. When we work to expand our lens on the world and all its people, then we can begin to understand the full effects of our leadership actions. Leadership Skills Developed: Global Perspective, Creating Connections Where will I make a difference in this world? Character is developed when actions are taken in service to the greater good. When students use their strengths in service to others, they gain confidence

and develop their identities as people who have the power to make a difference. Leadership Skills Developed: Strong Moral Compass, Purpose-Driven Action The goal of these questions is to create a learning environment where students’ capacity to lead grows as they evolve and uncover their own interests and beliefs. As students move through this environment and take on different leadership experiences, they become clearer, more persuasive communicators, they learn that collaboration with diverse groups yields powerful results, that creativity trumps most challenges, and that service offers purpose and deep satisfaction. It’s true that many students will grow into leaders if left to their own devices. It’s also true that many will not. Schools, therefore, have not just an opportunity, but also a responsibility to help students find their voices and discover the leadership abilities that lie within.

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for Life 18

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We equip kids to understand their potential as active citizens. We push them beyond cynicism and critique towards ideas for how to make positive change in our community, and in their futures. Peter Becker Head of School

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Remote Learning Virtual Curriculums to Ensure Student Growth

Audrey Noyes Ludemann PRINCIPAL

THE BERTRAM GROUP

ampuses may be closed, but school is in session. A whirlwind of activity occurred at day and boarding schools this spring as they converted programs to serve students through remote learning. Faculty and administrators have invested countless hours to ensure that students’ academic, social and emotional growth continues during this difficult time. The results reflect the high standards of professionalism, innovation and dedication to students that make independent schools shine. Here is a sampling of how they are rising to this challenge.

PHOTOGRAPHY © FAMVELDMAN - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Structuring students’ time With minimal loss of class time, independent schools launched schedules for remote learning that engage students consistently throughout the day. Parents and students are both grateful for this structure and sense of purpose. Schedules vary based on each school’s community. Some boarding schools, for example, have shifted class times to accommodate students in multiple time zones. Emphasizing personal connection Community is the glue that binds students,

faculty and families. Thus, independent schools are prioritizing platforms and activities that maximize relationships. The small classes that are a hallmark of independent schools are especially important in the digital format to ensure that students have the opportunity to speak up. In addition, students can find each other in online club meetings, informal get-togethers—even at virtual dances. All-school meetings are continuing. Some schools have offered faculty forums to answer parent questions. In many cases, group and individual meetings with advisors have increased in length and frequency as advisors help students stay connected and navigate this new environment. Faculty are holding extended office hours and evening dorm meetings; prefects are leading get-togethers; Senior Talks and Meditations are still taking place. Strategically adapting curriculum Aware of students’ more limited attention span when interacting through a screen, schools are thinking deeply about how to best use synchronous and asynchronous learning, and how to balance class discussions with individual check-ins. Teachers are

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“While it is far too soon to draw conclusions, schools know that when classes return to campus in the future, they will be reflecting on what aspects of this experience could be used to enrich future learning.”

working overtime to streamline curriculum and hone in on the most critical concepts. In some cases, they are replacing entire units because students don’t have those books at home. In other cases they are exploring new opportunities to make use of digital resources. Teachers of arts, science and other classes are problemsolving to continue hands-on learning experiences. Some are sending materials to students, while others are converting lessons to focus on common household items. Promoting physical and emotional health Focusing on the whole child, independent schools are promoting athletics and wellness from afar. Many spring teams are meeting virtually, with coaches offering exercise routines that students can do at home. Schools are proactively offering students activities and building time into their school day for exercise and mindfulness. In addition, counselors and chaplains are continuing to offer opportunities to connect.

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Continuing to innovate Amid this dramatic reconfiguration, independent schools are not resting on their laurels. Their ability to respond quickly is a result of ongoing investment in professional development and exploration of the best practices in pedagogy. Recognizing this, they know that while this new situation brings challenges, it also brings opportunities. While it is far too soon to draw conclusions, schools know that when classes return to campus in the future, they will be reflecting on what aspects of this experience could be used to enrich future learning. This comprehensive response is why students and parents value independent schools. Their faculty’s dedication to students and professional excellence is evident. Even as I write this, remote learning programs are continuing to evolve. Independent schools’ ability to respond in this moment—to plan, review, pause, flex and pivot—is a true reflection of the 21st-century learning that they are imparting to students.

“Even as I write this, remote learning programs are continuing to evolve. Independent schools’ ability to respond in this moment—to plan, review, pause, flex and pivot—is a true reflection of the 21stcentury learning that they are imparting to students.”

Is your child struggling in school? We can help. APPLY NOW www.winstonprep.edu The Winston Preparatory School does not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, color, or national or ethnic origin.

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A great teacher goes the distance. Online or oﬄine, what makes a great teacher is creativity, risk-taking and a sense of humor. FOR MORE ABOUT OUR VIRTUAL ADMISSION EVENTS www.countryschool.net/visit

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New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9 living in Westchester and Fairﬁeld counties. Our graduates excel at top day, boarding and public secondary schools and go on to lead lives of impact and purpose.

Fairfield Country Day School has been a transformative experience for our sons, not just educationally, but socially and emotionally as well. FCDS attends to the ‘whole boy.’ As an educator, I am impressed by the attentiveness of their faculty and the innovation of the administration. Though the current environment has been challenging, FCDS has been able to maintain not only academic continuity, but the spirit of community which makes FCDS such a special place.

- Suzy & Mark Nemec

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Having Hope A Time for Resolve, Resilience and Reinvention

Dr. Meera S. Viswanathan HEAD OF SCHOOL

THE ETHEL WALKER SCHOOL

“…hope I often think … [is] a state of mind, not a state of the world. Either we have hope within us, or we don’t. . . . Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons. . . ” –Vaclav Havel

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spring like no other—this is how I began my dedication to the seniors in the yearbook this year. It is a dizzying time—so much is happening even while so little is happening. Throughout it all, faculty, staff, students and parents at schools have approached each day, each week with hope even as we acknowledge the pragmatic realities of where we are and what the future might bring to the contours of each of our schools. The COVID-19 crisis has offered all heads of schools a mirror to reflect on our strengths and areas of challenge, both greater and smaller. While many of the latter were already known to us, especially around sustainability for independent schools, the great and

joyous discovery has been the strength of spirit and creativity that has infused campuses over the last two months in their distance-learning programs and is evident in every aspect of community relationships. Resolve and Intentionality Havel speaks in the quotation above about hope as “an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart.” Much of my time as Head of School over the recent weeks has been spent in a never-ending carousel of Zoom calls, with various colleagues at nearby schools, around the state and nationally, both in general discussion and in numerous webinars. I have been struck by the hopefulness of all the heads participating, and also on their resolve and intentionality. Every head, I know, is working valiantly to determine the best course of action for their school, orienting themselves according to their mission statement toward hope. In their resolve, everyone has become an autodidact on COVID, reinventing themselves as part amateur epidemiologist, part attorney, part public accountant,

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shifting from PPE to PPP, from closures due to RO to clauses dealing with force majeure. We madly read everything we can about the situation from government directives to CDC recommendations to The Lancet, sharing with one another all that is most current and thoughtful. We wonder when a vaccine will emerge in the next twelve to eighteen months, whether there will be readily available, on-site antigen and antibody testing for COVID and sign up for courses on contact tracing; we worry how many individuals each room on our campuses will accommodate with social distancing of six feet, and how we will feed people (grab and go, staggered mealtimes, etc.) and what the viral load might be

“As educators, it behooves us to think about how to leverage relationship to strengthen students’ sense of self and capability as well as consider other ways of teaching resilience.”

at school this fall; most of all, we ponder what the impact of all this will be on our students, especially thinking about the equity lens, knowing that some of our students struggle to have space, time or resources at home to function well, some, for example, caring for siblings while parents are on the front line in the medical field or are first responders. As well, we struggle to support our faculty and staff with their working remotely and distance teaching and learning, even while caring for their own children and families, and, of course, ourselves. Some heads grow beards, some make masks, some maintain a stoical mien, and all continue to feel a sense of unease below the surface. Underneath the overarching worry and concerns, we remain determined as well as daunted, intent on teasing out that path to the future despite the formidable and seemingly insurmountable challenges that confront us. Resilience and Adversity Contending with this startling world inverted upon itself, our students are experiencing a widespread trauma that because of its ubiquity has become the

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“new abnormal.” Deprived of the normative rhythms of school life, friendships, in-person mentoring, they yearn for the traditional punctuation points of the year from prom to the awarding of prizes to graduation itself, yet often rejecting the ersatz virtual equivalents, feeling there can be no substitutes for the real thing. From week to week, the moods shift, as they weary of Zoom classes and wonder what the future holds, from anger to dejection to denial to acceptance and even imaginative creativity. We’ve seen brilliant aesthetic responses from students on life in the era of COVID from dance to photography to painting to poetry. They have rallied one another through playful and incisive virtual morning meeting videos, offered specific recipes for rigorous workouts, learned to cook and so much more. Most of all, they are learning how to cope with situations beyond their control. Educators spend a great deal of time discussing with students the importance of developing a sense of resilience as a part of adolescent development, but unfortunately resilience is never learned vicariously. One discovers resilience through an encounter with adversity and being able to draw on inner resources

to find one’s way through. It is often a painful process with the outcome never assured ahead of time. The ability to stay present, endure and continue to strive without succumbing or capitulating to adverse circumstances is perhaps the most fundamental quality of success in human endeavors. Here is our ready-made opportunity, thanks to COVID, amid a world that has often been so buffered and cushioned for many of our students that they have had relatively little opportunity to develop the kind of grit that is so often lauded in self-help books of late. Can we seize this time intentionally to help our students understand how to work their way through this despite the fact that no one can offer assurances that this situation

“The ability to stay present, endure and continue to strive without succumbing or capitulating to adverse circumstances is perhaps the most fundamental quality of success in human endeavors. ”

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will end quickly or that all will be as it was? We know that one important asset in developing resilience is relationship and the trust it fosters, a cornerstone for independent school missions. For most schools, this spring has not merely been about distance learning as a substitute for delivering academic content. Instead, it has functioned as a means of reinforcing the connections between faculty and students as well as students and students. As educators, it behooves us to think about how to leverage relationship to strengthen students’ sense of self and capability as well as consider other ways of teaching resilience. As one of my students commented, “It doesn’t take much to change a girl’s life; just give her an issue to solve, something to lead, and people to change, and you’ll see how she’ll shape the future.” Resstoration, Adaption and Reinvention What most of us yearn for is a return to all of the quotidian elements of academic life—the engaging classroom, wondering what might be served for lunch, who will triumph in this week’s interscholastic athletic matches, and the usual antics and rituals of schools.

But this nostalgia, “the pain of return” in Classical Greek, is magical thinking, we can’t go home again (at least to that home), as Thomas Wolfe might have said. What we can think about is restoration—a restoration to wholeness, to a sense of ourselves as complete and possessing agency, as opposed to the current context of uncertainty, doubt, fear and powerlessness. But to achieve this restoration, we need to model a stance of flexibility and adapt. In other words, we need to change internally to accommodate the shifts we witness externally. Here is the rub— while what we crave is an external return, what is needed is movement forward internally. It is only by reinventing ourselves, that angst-filled journey of discovery and uncovery that we arrive at recovery. But reinventing ourselves does not mean self-judgment; it means self-assessment. Recently, in trying to accomplish a flood of things all at once, I told my spouse despondently that my performance that day merited only a “D.” He looked at me quizzically and responded, “Never let us forget that a ‘D’ is a passing grade.” We need to remember that sometimes just passing is all right.

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What does this mean? It means we cannot dwell in complacency and certitude about who we are and what we can do. It means we need to engage in continual, real learning—the kind that requires us to butt our heads against a wall and keep trying to find solutions, again and again and again. Rather than viewing ourselves as fixed vessels with contours of our making, we need to become more fluid, more adaptable, willing to bend and flex and experience the world in different ways. We must become our own students, trusting that we will learn about the world and ourselves that is transformative and meaningful. We need to be willing to be wrong, to fail, and still persevere. It is not a time of incremental, tentative toe-dipping. This is the hour when we must muster courage far beyond any we have known. Postlude Lest we droop at the immensity of all before us, we can also reframe this time of adaptation and flexibility as a form of play—a time of seemingly arbitrary rules and conventions, a time to try out different postures, a time of imagination and what-if scenarios—a time of

creativity. It is when we are engaged in deadly earnest that we most need the liberating forces of play. The die is cast; the games have begun. Ending as we began with this thought-provoking comment from Vaclav Havel, statesman, writer and dissident: “Hope is not the same thing as optimism. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed… In short, I think that the deepest and most important form of hope, the only one that can keep us above water and urge us to good works, and the only true source of the breathtaking dimension of the human spirit and its efforts, is something we get, as it were, from ‘elsewhere.’ It is also this hope, above all, that gives us the strength to live and continually to try new things."

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Curtain Call

Taking Center Stage at any Age

Rocco Natale EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OPEN ARTS ALLIANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

would be lying to you if I said that Open Arts Alliance was a theatre company. We produce theatre, we make theatre and we curate the next generation of theatre artists, but we are not a theatre. We are a social service organization masquerading as a theatre company and we offer educational outreach to students ages 4 to 103. That’s not a mistake. Our youngest student is 4. Our oldest student is 103. Theatre isn’t what we are: Theatre is the tool we use. The system of education in our country encourages a national and statewide curriculum for the arts, but due to lack of funding and an increasingly overwhelming emphasis on testing, the arts are often diminished or cut entirely. Open Arts Alliance not only exists for the purpose of filling the arts education gap facing our schools, but to create volunteer opportunities for students through the arts to facilitate lifelong learning. But what does that philosophy of education look like in practice? Our goal is simple: Use theatre to help students (young and old) talk to one another. How do we accomplish this? Programs. Every year, Open Arts Alliance has the pleasure of teaching our five cornerstone programs: “Yes, And…Improv,” “Broadway By The Year,” The Junior Ensemble Tour, The Professional Touring Production and The Mainstage Musical. Let’s talk about the Mainstage Musical. In truth, the Mainstage Musical is a production series that

includes three traditional performance opportunities for children: Summer Stage (a unique chance for students to create a show in two weeks), Second Stage (an invited production for our elite students in classes and private lessons), and The Mainstage Musical: our most traditional “children’s theatre” show. Every year nearly 200 students audition for the opportunity to be a part of this exciting project. In addition to the theatre education our shows provide students, funds raised through these shows provide support for our innovative senior citizen programs. We work to arrange free transportation for area seniors to our shows and offer them the ability to see live theatre for free. What has made Open Arts Alliance an exceptional training ground for young artists is not only the quality of the education, but the ability for students to experience the impact of their contribution to the Greenwich community through performing arts. Much like traditional theatre companies, our educational theatre season kicks off with two programs: “Yes, And…Improv” and “Broadway By The Year.” These programs are 10-week courses that teach the art of improvisation skills and musical theatre respectfully, BUT with a twist: these programs are offered free of charge at our partner locations to senior citizens exclusively. Our students for these programs (many of whom are veterans with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia) are given a safe and supportive space

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to learn new skills, make new friends and socialize all while learning theatrical techniques. Why teach theatre to senior citizens? Well, my favorite example is from a student we had a number of years ago. Let’s call her “Doris.” She had dementia and was a member of our “Yes, And…Improv” at the (fabulous) River House Adult Day Center in Greenwich. While Doris could not remember playing these games or having come to class week after week, her skills in playing the game were improving as the weeks progressed. On some level, learning was happening and the socialization that she was learning in “theatre class” at eighty-years-young was improving her quality of life. Doris thrived in the improvisation class, but it was in musical theatre where she came out of her shell. Though she was unable to remember what meal she ate for breakfast, Doris was able to sing along to her favorite show tunes from sixty years prior. It was quite a sight to see. Our trained teaching artists are not the only people to interact with our senior population. Through our Junior Ensemble Tour program, young people ages 8-18 are offered direct training in volunteerism and what they may encounter while working with

“Since our mission is based on the belief that everyone deserves arts education, we offer professional touring productions to hospitals and schools where students would otherwise not have access to professional theatre. Whether it be a physical, cognitive or economic limitation, we believe that art is a right — not a privilege.”

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a population that is affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Students in the Junior Ensemble Tour create, develop, design, direct, choreograph, music direct and stage manage their own production of a musical revue that they then tour to local nursing homes, hospitals and adult day centers. The idea behind this powerful experience is to give them the hands-on tools to interact with senior citizens in their community and in their own personal lives. Instead of building one program for the senior citizens and another for the school-aged students, we are implementing “one stop shopping” and creating an experience that not only challenges the abilities of our younger population, but bridges the gap between the youngest and oldest members of our society. In this way, we are teaching the next generation of volunteers through the arts. Since our mission is based on the belief that everyone deserves arts education, we offer professional touring productions to hospitals and schools where students would otherwise not have access to professional theatre. Whether it be a physical, cognitive or economic limitation, we believe that art is a right—not a privilege. Last year we were proud

to bring our production of Alice In Wonderland to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. This production featured puppet integration as a way to reach students with non-verbal abilities. The week we traveled to Hartford was a busy one for our organization. We had already seen hundreds of students in the Fairfield County area by the time we arrived at the CCMC to find: one student in the audience. We came to learn that he was a student diagnosed with autism and severe medical issues. His caregivers did not anticipate him sitting for more than one minute to watch the show. This child not only was rapt for the entire production, he actually spoke to the actors, made eye contact with the puppets and took a backstage tour—none of which was expected by his guardians or the hospital staff. That is just one example of the power of our “theatre company” to offer quality experience over quantity. We are so proud to be pioneering the kind of educational mission that allows students of all ages to express themselves through the arts, and we look forward to another spectacular year of making theatre that changes the life of the audience and the artist. For more information, visit openartsalliance.com.

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words of wisdom

The Silver Lining of Distance Learning While nothing can replace in-person learning, remote learning provides the opportunity for students and faculty to discover new ways to collaborate and powerful creative energies. MARK DE KANTER Associate Head of School, Westminster School

Educators are learning now more than ever! We have a renewed energy to be innovative, resourceful, and creative in order to integrate the student voice in the dayto-day experience and to foster social-emotional connections alongside academic content. Meg Frazier Head of School, Sacred Heart Greenwich

The bonds that our students have made and the lessons they learned have carried with them across the globe. Let us remember, especially during this time, that so much more than a physical space connects us. Aaron Cooper Head of School, New Canaan Country School

Throughout this period of remote learning, I have been struck by how amazingly resilient children can be. They have had their worlds rocked, and yet they continue to show up, eager to learn, and willing to try new approaches to their education. They will benefit from this time as they develop into more independent thinkers, writers, designers and learners. JON DEVEAUX Head of School, Fairf ield Country Day School

Teachers are learning new skills. Students are accessing new levels of responsibility and independence. Together, we have been turning distance learning into action research for our project to put inquiry at the heart of our curriculum. An educator’s mission is to engage students as partners; distance learning is the laboratory. Andrew Jones, Head of Upper School, Greens Farms Academy

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2020-2021 Education Guide

Creating art with simple materials from home and observing the details have been the silver lining of remote learning. Using paper, pencil and recycled items allows the student to appreciate the small things around them, and the best part is that they can create their art with the whole family. LELA PHILIP Lower School art teacher, Brunswick School and Greenwich Academy

There are actually many exciting new resources with remote learning. I have been able to ‘take’ my entire seventh grade science class to the Florida Keys through real-time virtual lessons on the water! Students experience biologists collecting invertebrates in their natural environment and then identify the collection in the lab. Dana McNamee Ed.D., Science Teacher, The Masters School

Our students have taught us so much this past spring about what real learning can actually look like. The positive surprises of distance learning will have a deep impact on the classroom experience from this point forward. Sharon Lauer Head of School, The Unquowa School

Teachers are inspired to achieve unbounded learning, to harness the benefit of the vast artistic, musical, scientific and global resources online. Children learn from the way their teachers adapt and adjust, and the relationship grows, along with confidence that challenges can be met... together. Maureen Murphy Head of School, The Children's School

With a strong faculty commitment to academic rigor and individual student support, remote learning can be equally productive outside a physical campus. The willingness to learn and adapt on the part of both students and teachers is not without challenge, but can lead to strengthened connections. WALTER SWANSON Dean of Faculty, Wilbraham & Monson Academy

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2020-2021 Education Guide

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