the lawrenceville school
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table of contents Message from Head Master Murray.................................1 Distance Learning Plan...................................................... 2 Online resources................................................................. 3 Schedule for the first two weeks....................................4 Virtual House and Advisee Groups................................... 6 Expectations for students................................................ 7 Grading & transcripts....................................................... 8 College Counseling ............................................................ 9 Suggestions and Information for parents....................10 Resources and Support Bunn Library Resources....................................................13 Educational Support & Accommodations..................... 14 Health & Wellness Center Hotline................................ 14 FAQ.........................................................................................15
Welcome to Virtual Lawrenceville!
“Ville
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from the head master
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Our age has adapted to the current circumstances in a remarkable fashion, and this deck of resources serves as a guidebook and a bridge to a whole world of on-line opportunities. Our teachers, department chairs, Housemasters, and deans have led the way with a can-do, we-will-find-a-way, positive spirit, and this document represents their impressive collective efforts. Times like these reorder our priorities and teach us what is important, and it is precisely at such moments that we learn how strong and resilient we are as a community.
Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ‘16 P’16 ‘21 The Shelby Cullom Davis ‘26 Head Master
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Distance Learning Plan School is open! While no online platform can exactly reproduce the look or feel of a Harkness classroom, we are committed to doing everything we can to recreate our warm, vibrant, and dynamic intellectual community in a virtual form.
Upon their return from spring break, every faculty member completed an intensive course on distance learning and is using the skills and practices they gleaned to redesign their courses for the online environment. Teachers are developing clear and engaging work for students to complete independently (“asynchronous”) and planning “live” classes via Zoom (“synchronous”) to build on students’ independent efforts and maintain and deepen our community connections.
Our Ethos: At bricks and mortar Lawrenceville, a successful Harkness classroom depends on students’ willingness to take responsibility for their learning and propel themselves and others towards new insights and understandings. The same is true in our online environment. Faculty will use a range of tools (Zoom, Google Docs, discussion boards, video sharing platforms, and more) to ensure students engage course material actively and collaboratively.
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We will also find ways to foster community, connection, and inclusivity online. Educators Reshan Richards and Stephen J. Valentine remind us:
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“The job of an online teacher is the job of an offline teacher is the job of a teacher. Connect to people and help them to feel connected to you and to the dimension of the world you are leading them to experience. Connect your students to one another in a way that enables them not only to learn content from one another, but also to catch life experiences from one another—to shape one another in the way that only peers can. It’s that simple … and it’s that complex.” (from A Letter to Educators Teaching Online for the First Time)
Our Mindset: Distance learning is new for all of us, and doing it successfully will require each of us to nurture a growth mindset. We encourage all community members, students and faculty both, to be unafraid to say that they don’t yet know, to try out new methods of teaching and learning with a spirit of openness and curiosity, and to learn from our inevitable mistakes.
Online resources we will be using Zoom: This will be our central platform for synchronous classes, meetings, and any other kinds of “virtual” gatherings. Students and faculty all have access to Zoom. Although Zoom will run in a web browser, we recommend that all students download the Zoom client at https://zoom.us/download.
Powerschool (Or as we know it, Haiku): This is our current learning
management system (LMS). Students are already accustomed to going to Haiku for homework assignments, and this will not change. In our new distance learning environment, teachers will work to centralize all needed materials for their classes in their Haiku sites as much as possible.
Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc.): Many teachers and
students have been using Google Suite files for some time; the functionality of Google Docs (for example) will enable collaboration between teachers and students and among students to continue.
VPN: Virtual private network or VPN is a tool that allows users to connect to
the internet through another server. We will be using a VPN tool to allow students in countries that restrict access to enable them to connect to the Lawrenceville network, as well as allow access to other sites that may be restricted.
“ Connect your students to one another in a way that enables them not only to learn content from one another, but also to catch life experiences from one another—to shape one another in the way that only peers can.”
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Schedule for the March 30 - April 10 In order to accommodate synchronous classes meeting twice per week, we have organized the spring term calendar around “Red” days, when A, C, and B periods meet, and “Black” days for E, F, and D periods. The order of the periods was chosen to ensure that the periods with the most students in class take place in the middle of the three-hour block. Every week will include an day for Houses and advisee groups to meet and connect, as well as to hold a virtual School Meeting.
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Our first week of school will begin on Monday, March 30th, with virtual House Zoom meetings at 10:00 a.m. Virtual advisee meetings will take place at 11:00 a.m. and, at that time, advisors will arrange individual times on Tuesday, March 31, to meet with their advisees via Zoom to go over winter-term grades and comments. Students should check Haiku for any homework assignments posted on Monday for classes that will begin on Wednesday and Thursday.
March 30-April 3rd (Alpha Week) LVILLE TIME
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Designation 10:00a - 10:50a
House Meetings
11:00a - 11:50a
Advisor Meetings
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12:00a - 12:50a
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Individual Advisor Mtgs to go over Winter Comments
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
RED DAY
BLACK DAY
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A-Period
E-Period
Smeeting (10:00 - 10:30a)
C-Period
F-Period
House/Adv Mtgs (10:45a - 12:00p)
B-Period
D-Period
Although not included in the schedule shown on the prior page, there is time set aside both before and after the synchronous class meetings for teachers to hold consultation. Teachers will make arrangements for those times on a class-by-class basis. Beginning in the second week, we will adopt a slightly different schedule (Beta Week), starting with synchronous Zoom classes at 9:00 a.m., as shown below:
April 6-April10th (Beta Week) LVILLE TIME
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
Designation
RED DAY
BLACK DAY
LVILLEAGE Day
RED DAY
9:00a - 9:50a
A-Period
E-Period
FRIDAY
No Classes
A-Period
10:00a - 10:50a
C-Period
F-Period
Smeeting (10:00 - 10:30a)
C-Period
11:00a - 11:50a
B-Period
D-Period
House/Adv Mtgs (10:45a - 12:00p)
B-Period
Students & Faculty will be asked to fill out surveys about their experiences to date
At the end of the second week we will pause to collect data from faculty and students about their experiences so far. There will be no classes on Monday, April 13th to allow the faculty to assess how things are working and to make any changes to the calendar or schedule that might lead to an improved experience throughout the remainder of the term. A schedule for the remainder of the year will be posted on the 13th.
Every week will include an LVILLEAGE day for Houses and advisee groups to meet and connect, as well as to hold a virtual School Meeting.
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Given the one-week delay in starting the term as we prepared for distance learning, classes will continue through Friday, June 5th for all students, including Fifth Formers. There will be no final exams at the end of the term.
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Virtual House and Advisee Groups As the community develops new ways to engage students
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in the classroom, our Houses are also looking at new ways to engage students and advisees throughout the spring. As much as possible, we will continue to nurture and extend the relationships that were developed in person on campus. The House system works within our large school to ensure that each student feels known as an individual. That feeling of being known will never be more important than now, when student relationships are fully mediated by technology. For many, House and advisor meetings will be ways to touch base and get some indication of how members of our community are doing as we begin this new way of being “in community” this spring. Maintaining the contact and familiarity of House relationships will be essential, and the Housemasters and advisors will work with the level directors and deans to preserve the essential relationships of House life. We have scheduled weekly House and advisor meetings. Our House meetings will still celebrate members of the House and continue to inspire “the best in each to seek the best in all” at this difficult time.
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Expectations for students We have been working to keep the weekly routine as familiar and regular as
possible. Along with academic classes, there will be weekly House, advisor, and School meetings, and it is expected that you will attend all scheduled meetings.
Keep to a routine Your success at Lawrenceville came when you stuck to a schedule. Keeping routines for sleeping, healthy eating, fitness and recreation, and homework will make you happier and more productive. Set up a daily and weekly schedule for yourself, including time for schoolwork (create your own study hall times!), regular meals, exercise, relaxation, and connecting with friends; as much as possible, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
Discuss any challenges with your advisor Transitions are always hard, and this is new to us all. There are challenges that we all anticipate, and there are challenges that will be unique to each of you. Share them with your advisor, Housemaster, or teacher.
Attend synchronous classes and other scheduled meetings These meetings will be important for your academic and community connections. Your showing up for classes and meetings will keep you in the loop, allow you to share your insights, help you make informed decisions in student elections, and be affirmed for your perseverance and work.
Check Lawrenceville email, Veracross, & Haiku Twice Daily
Stay kind and confident, and don’t take shortcuts Continue to meet our shared expectations for respect, academic integrity, and appropriate use of technology. We must maintain our mutual trust as we work together in different time zones and with different needs. Lawrentians don’t take shortcuts, either in their academic work or their consideration of others.
The deans and docs remain ready to help While you can’t visit our offices for candy and conversations, we will still be available with food for thought and a ready ear, and look for us in a coming VILLeage meeting.
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Email will become a dominant mode of communication and announcements. We will try to find alternative and less cumbersome modes of communication as we progress through the term, but email remains essential. We will post information about classes and House Meetings in Haiku. For things like religious gatherings, club meetings, virtual social events and School Meeting we will post Zoom links on the Veracross calendar. Finally, check the Student Council Website for the most up to date planning by StuCo.
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Grading & transcripts For the spring term, all classes will be graded on a pass/fail basis
with only a “P” or an “F” posted on their transcript for each class this spring. No GPA will be recorded for the spring term, and year-long GPAs reported on the transcript will only reflect fall and winter grades. The move to pass/fail for all classes is unprecedented in Lawrenceville’s history. Yet, the uncertainty that exists in everyone’s lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges involved for students moving to an entirely distance-learning environment, and concerns over equitable access to certain resources (like a reliable internet connection), make this the right decision for our school as a whole. Most of our peer schools and colleges have arrived at a similar conclusion. Given the complexities of online assessment and the limited synchronous time that classes will have together, we will not be administering final exams. However, faculty may ask students to complete a culminating project at the end of the term.
Please focus on the present, optimizing these new experiences, clarifying what is important to you and your family, and reflect on how we
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are facing challenges together.
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College Counseling The College Counseling Office is well prepared and eager to continue to support our counselees and families with traditional and innovative programming. As college counseling, like teaching, is essentially a relationship-building process, we will build upon the relationships we established earlier in the year and conclude the academic year successfully. Overall, our goals for the spring will be to assist Fifth Formers in their decision-making and transition to college, while supporting our Fourth Formers as they continue their college search. Using the web-based tools readily available to counselors, students, and families, we will maximize access to information and opportunities for meaningful contact and growth. Whether through Zoom for student and parent appointments, SCOIR for college research and information storage, or the everdeveloping website programming that colleges and universities are creating to increase student awareness and understanding of their institutions, we will bridge any distance in all aspects of our college counseling programming.
Fifth Formers: As the committee and application season has now concluded, we will work with Fifth Formers on a variety of topics that address their transition to college. Processing decisions, making informed and thoughtful choices about matriculation, how to navigate the wait-list process, and understanding scholarship and financial aid awards stand at the forefront of our work together. All these nuanced discussions can take place through Zoom or via phone and the counselors will engage in these exciting conversations throughout the spring.
Fourth Formers: After reconnecting with our counselees and assessing their college work and present standing overall, we will continue with our Fourth Form curriculum. The spring college counseling work centers on college research designed
to help students refine their college vision, build a thoughtful and broad college list, and advance their understanding of the college process. Using online meetings, recorded presentations, student research assignments, college-created content, and the functions in SCOIR, among other resources, the College Counseling Office will work with Fourth Formers to help them establish the essential insight and information gathering necessary to prepare them for the next stages of the process and keep them on track with the traditional college counseling timeline. Overall, colleges and universities have already communicated with us their flexibility and openness regarding issues such as standardized testing requirements, pass/fail terms, extracurricular commitments, etc. and the College Counseling Office will continue to monitor the rapidly changing landscape of college admission for the 20202021 admission season. Additionally, the College Counseling Office will communicate with the Fourth and Fifth Form students and families as admission developments unfold in higher education, while college counselors will continue to connect with their counseling groups and individual counselees to advance Lawrenceville’s college counseling curriculum and communicate any changes in college and admission practices. If Lawrenceville families have specific concerns, we invite you to reach out to either Jeff Durso-Finley (jdfinley@lawrenceville.org) or Holly Burks Becker (hbecker@lawrenceville.org)) and we would be happy to answer your questions. We’re excited to get rolling with our counselees and look forward to an interesting, productive, and successful spring!
Thanks.
Jeffrey Durso-Finley & Holly Burks Becker, Co-Directors of College Counseling
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Suggestions and Information for parents This is an unprecedented time in our collective experience as parents. We are all facing new challenges in our personal, professional, community, and family lives. As we continue to partner for your child’s development, please remember that clear and open communication will be essential.
Stay involved, but allow for independence Your children have been developing their independence on campus, and this new virtual Lawrenceville experience should be framed as another opportunity to help them continue to set clear plans, stick to a routine, and manage their initial response to challenges. As Head Master Steve Murray advises parents at the beginning of each school year, when your child comes to you with a problem, instead of jumping into action to resolve it for them, reply, “Ok, that sounds challenging. What’s your plan?” This is the question that your child’s advisor will ask. Communicating confidence in your child will give them the boost they need to take productive next steps.
Stay connected with your child’s campus team Housemasters, advisors, deans, and the doctors are all still available and ready with support and counsel. You should expect to continue to receive campus and House updates, but the personal and individual connections should also be maintained. When you have those moments when your child expresses frustration or is facing a challenge, and after you encourage their self-advocacy and problem-solving, follow-up in a day or two to see how the plan is progressing. More importantly, if there are any family challenges, especially illness, please let us know. While we are still pursuing academic excellence, our primary concern and responsibility is to support your child, and we stand ready to assist and adjust as necessary for each student.
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Encourage a physical fitness/mindfulness routine
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If the body is healthy, the mind will follow. Staying active, even when required to stay at home, is essential for physical and emotional health. Go for walks, and enjoy the chance to be together and connect after a day online. Find fun routines to do together in your home. Also know that Lawrenceville is hosting online fitness, meditation, and Yoga sessions.
Please focus on the present, optimizing these new experiences, clarifying what is important to you and your family, and reflect on how we are facing challenges together.
Don’t worry, the colleges all understand
Lastly, be open with your child, and remember that we will get through this Having open conversations with your child is important for a number of reasons. You can model how to have concerns but remain practical and positive, and you can create moments for them to share their concerns and worries. You can signal your trust in them, and they can grow more open with their feelings. And finally, they know you well and will sense your worry and concern, so it is better to name it and talk.
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This moment in time can enhance but certainly will not impede your child’s development and college readiness or admissibility. Please focus on the present, optimizing these new experiences, clarifying what is important to you and your family, and reflect on how we are facing challenges together.
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resources and support
Bunn Library Resources The Bunn Library is committed to serving the needs of the commu-
nity as the school moves forward with distance learning and creating a virtual student life experience. The Library is uniquely situated to support online research, study, and reading from home because of our extensive and well-rounded digital collections. The Bunn Library offers a wide range of digital and online resources available remotely to the entire School community via the library website. Resources include off-campus access through Ezproxy to over 50 major academic databases such as ProQuest, Gale Virtual Reference Library, and EBSCO; digital magazines via the Flipster app; national newspapers such as The New York Times; and both popular and academic eBook and audiobook titles on SORA and eBook Central. We have acquired the Swank Movie database and have plans to add more films, all of which will be accessible for coursework through Haiku. Noodletools, our student research platform that provides citation, outlining, and notecard functions, will be instrumental in support for the spring history research papers and other projects. Librarians will offer research instruction through Zoom classrooms, Haiku, and Libguide pages, as well as online tutorials. We will make available virtual reference help through Google chat and Hangouts, and will be available at various times during the day and evening to answer students’ questions about the library resources and conducting research online. Students will be able to access pleasure reading and audiobooks through SORA for all of their favorite fiction, nonfiction, and YA titles.
While the Bunn Library building will be closed to patrons until further notice, our outreach librarians are working on virtual library programming, including House challenges, DIY demos, and online book discussions. The library proctors will help us plan events, but students may feel free to reach out to Mrs. Sinai, Ms. Cunningham, or Mr. August if they have any virtual programming ideas. The Stephan Archives will also be closed to researchers, but they can access the online Lawrence and The Lawrentian on the Stephan Archives website. The House Historian Program will continue to run, and we look forward to seeing what the students can find in our historical digital resources.
For assistance or questions regarding library services, students and parents can contact Paula Clancy, director of Library Services at pclancy@lawrenceville.org.
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Families should not worry about any physical books that students may have checked out, as we will be extending the loan period until books can be safely returned to us.
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Educational Support & Accommodations The Office of Educational Support is committed
to ensuring equal access to the School’s programs and services for those students who have been diagnosed with a disability. A distance learning environment may present unique challenges for those students with disabilities, including learning disabilities and ADHD. As we begin distance learning and utilizing varied methods of online instruction, providing accessibility is of critical importance. The Lawrenceville community is working together to anticipate students’ needs and to support the faculty in their work with students. Students who completed an educational evaluation over spring break and have documentation recommending academic accommodations should contact Dr. Jennifer Lambert, director of Educational Support, at jlambert@lawrenceville.org. Students and parents with questions related to the process of applying for accommodations on standardized testing may contact Terri Mandigo, assistant director of Educational Support and standardized testing coordinator, at tmandigo@lawrenceville.org. Portions of this section were adapted from “Accessibility: Coronavirus Updates and Resources.” RIT, N.P., March 24, 2020, https://www.rit.edu/coronavirus/accessibility.
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Beginning on Monday morning, March 30th, the
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Health Center phones will be answered by a nurse around the clock. Depending on the nature of the inquiry, the nurse can help provide guidance or will route the question, concern, or information appropriately to our Head of Nursing, Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Medical Director, or to a counselor for further assistance. We will attempt to answer all concerns in as timely a manner as possible.
frequently asked questions What do I do if I get sick and cannot do my work? Our first priority remains the health and well being of all of our community members. If you are feeling sick and aren’t able to do your work, please let your advisor and/or teachers know, and they will come up with a plan to get you caught back up once you are feeling better.
What if my internet is unreliable? Part of the reason for starting off those first two days in House and advisee meetings is to give us an opportunity to inquire about different student situations and gauge students’ level of access to certain resources, the internet being one of them. If a student does not have reliable access to the internet, our ITS department stands ready to assist with addressing this issue. Please email our ITS Support Team for any technical questions or issues (helpdesk@lawrenceville.org).
What if the academic schedule poses unique challenges for me? Although we did our best to develop a schedule that was manageable for all of our students, we recognize that individual circumstances may make distance learning in our chosen schedule challenging. Please share any challenges you might be facing with your advisor and/or your teachers. We will be pausing after the first two weeks of remote instruction to assess how things are going and may make changes to the schedule if required.
Yes, students with diagnosed learning disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations, regardless of whether classes take place in-person or online. Accommodations for students currently eligible through the Office of Educational Support or through the Health and Wellness Center will remain in place. Your teachers will continue to have access to the confidential academic accommodations roster, as well as the classroom learning plans for those students they teach and advise. Please continue to communicate with your teachers to arrange your accommodations at least 24 hours in advance of any synchronous or timed assessment.
Is help still available from the Office of Educational Support during the spring term? Although we are not able to take new referrals for the spring, if you’ve already been referred to our program and have been working with one of our specialists, you can continue to work with them remotely. Our team of specialists will be reaching out to each of the students with whom they work to schedule individual meetings over Zoom.
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Do my accommodations still apply in the online environment?
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Through House and Harkness, Lawrenceville challenges a diverse community of promising young people to lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose. Our mission is to inspire the best in each to seek the best for all.
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