March 31st from Lynn Bowman

March 31st, 2020

Dear Families,

The big day is here!

A few notes for parents and caregivers going forward:

Don't get ahead of us
Daily schedules will go live at 8:10am every morning. Faculty may be making content changes to this schedule up until then. Please do not consider the content finalized until 8:10am.

For Early Childhood parents
In Early Childhood, caregivers may join morning circle to help with technology and to help keep students engaged. Some students may be able to fly solo, others may need some additional support from home. Thanks to those of you who can provide support during this morning meeting.

For Lower School parents
In Lower School, caregivers will not be joining the morning circle. Please ensure that your child's technology is working, and their mics and cameras are on. Just as on the first day of school in September, you may need to stick around a little longer than usual. However it is important that you follow the lead of the teacher and the student. Once your child has settled in, please step away from the camera and mic and allow the teachers to engage with your child. We expect that by Monday, April 6th, students should be able to manage their Zoom session on their own.

For all parents
During the first few Zoom sessions, you may be tempted to say hello to another parent or child, ask a question, make a suggestion to the teacher, or offer tech help to those in the Zoom session. Please don't do this! If you have thoughts or helpful feedback for the teacher, please connect via email or leave a phone message.

As always we are grateful for your partnership and thankful for your patience as teachers continue to evolve their practice and learn how to best support children in our new Online Learning Community.

I also want to acknowledge that, for many parents, the beginning and the ending of the day are important times to connect with other parents and with the teacher. This connection will be lost tomorrow, and the loss will be felt by all of us who work at Gordon as well. Please know that, as this Online Learning Community develops, we will be looking for ways to bring that experience into the online space.

Thank you,

Lynn