March 31, 2020

Dear St. Martin’s Family,

It is my sincere hope that you and your families are remaining healthy and well. While our competence with remote teaching and learning continues to grow, no experience is the same as sharing our days together at 375 Benfield Road. We miss our students' presence and energy tremendously. Your family is cared for and always appreciated. Your engagement – whether scrolling our social media, joining a Zoom parent coffee, talking over the phone, or reading the Mustang Blast – supports our ongoing mission and is valued more than any words can say. To this end, please enjoy the video message above.

Our teachers are “going the distance” and creatively embracing remote teaching and learning! Through Zoom and other means, there is a host of meaningful student-teacher exchanges occurring all day, including a virtual session with a guest whale scientist from NOAA today (Thank you, Mr. Hopper)! Students engage in read-alouds, discussions, art projects, experiments, as well as traditional learning approaches. Should we return to campus on April 27 th or continue beyond that date, we will keep endeavoring to provide an educational experience for our preschool through middle school students.

We acknowledge how drastically this event may be impacting families. We care about your needs and concerns as we operate in this manner. There is a COVID-19 Task Force actively addressing implications on school operations. In these new times, we are reliant on guidance from the Association of Independent Maryland Schools with whom we now regularly confer. In response to some recent inquiries, I can share the following at this point:

  • Preschool tuition refund inquiries: We understand learning now looks different in a social sense, and we understand there is an impact on your family to implement learning. It is helpful to recognize tuition, covers the full staff's compensation and benefits. Such is true with all independent schools. Should we return on April 27th, the School must be prepared to be fully staffed to support programs. We are relying on tuition now more than ever.
  • Field Party: The postponement of this essential fundraising event no doubt stresses St. Martin’s resources for the rest of the fiscal year (June 30). Whether it is rescheduled or re-conceived virtually, our hope is to hold a special appeal to support our dedicated teachers and amazing students, and will exercise compassion and mindfulness in doing so.
  • If there is hardship being experienced, please inquire directly with me or Janet Mosher, Director of Finance and Operations (jmosher@stmartinsmd.org). Any inquiry will be handled sensitively and on a case-by-case basis.

It is heartwarming to see how well our students and teachers are adjusting to our remote learning initiative. We will continue to learn and incorporate new insights and approaches to ensure we strengthen this learning experience for our students. If you have any feedback or questions about this initiative, I invite you to reach out to me anytime. As always, we hope you positively promote our school's efforts and mission to anyone who might benefit from a St. Martin's education -- now or in the future. Admissions inquiries can be directed to Kelly Danahy at kdanahy@stmartinsmd.org . Lastly, please follow us on social media where we are posting many photos, videos, and messages daily. If you are active on social media, I encourage you to “share” our posts within your friend community.

Instagram: @stmartinsmd

I praise our staff’s dedication to making all students and families feel supported. I am reminded daily of our mission of fostering students of Confidence, Character, and Compassion as we take this ride together. Let’s keep connected…we are in it together!

With warmth and gratitude,

Jamey Hein
Head of School
jhein@stmartinsmd.org