Dear MCS Families.
 
We understand how challenging it is for the MCS community to be apart from one another. Children must be wondering when they will be able to see certain relatives and why they cannot return to school and see their friends and teachers. For you, as parents, as well as for various staff members, we recognize that in many cases the grown-ups are expected to perform their job remotely from home while caring for children. We are aware that some in our community are no longer able to perform their jobs, and some are working endless hours as health care providers, first responders and employees in essential businesses supporting us all while they put themselves in harm’s way. We are worried about the health and safety of ourselves, our loved ones and community members.

Children pick up on their grown-ups’ anxieties and the things they hear and see around them on a daily basis. By now your children probably have been asking more questions about changes they notice in their physical environment as they express their growing concerns. They must be wondering many other things about this new abnormal we are experiencing. Hopefully they will share their feelings with their trusted adults and we will try to help them through this. Together, we will provide reassurance for children that everyone is helping to make people safer by staying at home for the time being until we can see one another again and return to our normal routines.

It is difficult to plan for any semblance of school routines to coexist within this uncertain global picture in which we all find ourselves. For a school as committed to progressive pedagogy as MCS, this presents an enormous challenge for everyone. Despite all the limitations, careful planning continues on the part of the staff as this stark reality is extended. We have included our objectives and additional components of the plan for MCS En Casa below.
Objectives for MCS En Casa
Our objectives for MCS En Casa are rooted in what it means to be a progressive school. The notion of “online school” is antithetical to our entire mission, just as it would be for most schools. Yet our teachers are still managing to recreate certain aspects of an MCS education in such inspiring ways. We are continually in awe of their wisdom and creativity as we watch the videos, read the messages and view the activities they are creating for your children. 

As a progressive school, we stand by wanting to create a curriculum that is purposeful and rich. Since most of our teaching relies on hands-on and interactive participation, however, this is a dramatic shift for our teachers to devise these online plans. We are utilizing innovative skills as we work collaboratively to create certain meaningful ways to help children stay connected, to feel as safe as possible, and to be able to engage in some opportunities and activities that resemble school life in some ways. This is a herculean task, even for the most talented of teachers, like ours. There are plenty of schools that rely heavily on worksheets, repetitive drills, and testing and this task would be simpler in those settings. That is not MCS. Therefore, our objectives follow a developmental approach grounded in the tenets of our mission.

Many of our teachers and staff have family members who they are caring for at home. Therefore, we will do our best to respond to emails within 24 hours, but please understand if it takes a little longer. We need to do everything we can to support the staff in this endeavor.  

Schools are juggling the experiences of many families -- each with its own routines -- and within many homes there may be more than one child, and for some families, there are other relatives at home temporarily. In all of this variation, we recognize that some families would like more online time with teachers and some are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of time children are being asked to be in front of a screen or doing “school” work. This is all part of the balancing act that the staff is doing now, and it requires trust and patience on everyone’s part. For families who feel they cannot keep up with the work or the screen time, we understand. 

There will still be plenty of learning occurring for children during this time -- it will just look different. In fact, there will be opportunities for children’s imaginations to be tapped like never before. Let’s remember that every single child out of regular school around the world is in this same boat. When children are back in the classroom, we will all course-correct to meet them where they are and move them along with the skills that they need. Teachers are experts at this work. 
General Program Updates: 
Google Sites:
We are implementing Google Sites for each classroom from 4-5s through 8-9s in an effort to keep everything organized and easily accessible. If you have questions regarding Sites, please email Tiffany .
 
Google Classroom:
We are building in time, particularly as the children get older, to provide feedback for the children about their work -- whether that be projects, assignments or an art or science activity. Upper School students and teachers are familiar with the Google Classroom platform and 9-10s students are just beginning to learn how to use this tool. Teachers are thinking carefully about how best to structure their “office hours” in the week to fit varying needs.
 
Wellness Team: 
In case you missed it, please refer to the April 2nd letter from Stephanie, Ilene and Chawon.

Farm:
Starting soon, the Farm will have a Google Site. They have been making videos and we are sure you will enjoy them immensely.   

Specialist Classes:
Starting soon, these Lower School classes will also have Google Sites: Art, Computer, Library, Music, Physical Education, Science, Shop and Spanish. Teachers have been working hard to create videos, audios and other projects and these will complement the classroom plans beautifully. In the Upper School, Electives have started and more classes are being added.

An Afterschool Program Message from Chawon:
Thank you to all the families who have been patient with us as we transition to an online version of the Afterschool program. We are excited to announce that a few classes for Afterschool will begin on Monday. Please check your inboxes for an email if you have not done so already. Families will continue to receive notifications regarding each class. If you have any questions, please let Chawon or Christine know.

Final Thoughts:
We recognize that this crisis necessitates a tremendous amount of change for us all. We will need to be generous and flexible as we work through this period together. We rely on your partnership and we are grateful for your support of the dedicated work from teachers and the rest of the staff in these efforts. Many of you have reached out with supportive emails, and the staff is grateful for this. In cases where you may have concerns, we ask that you communicate them with consideration for the hard work that is going into these plans and the enormous stress that everyone is experiencing. We also ask that you recognize that these plans can change over time.  

As educators we are thinking about what children need most right now, and that is to feel comforted and loved. They want to know that things are going to be okay and return to normal. At the end of all of this, children’s physical and mental health will be more important than anything else. The fact that they were supported by their trusted adults will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during this time. 

In closing, we are attaching some helpful resources, a quote from Fred Rogers and a few videos, two of which illustrate a sampling of the ingenuity of our staff and the affection we have for you and your children. We hope you enjoy them. We certainly loved watching them and there are more to follow.  

We are thinking of you and your children and we miss seeing you at MCS.

Fondly,
Mary, Cynthia and Kerry