Atrium from Afar, Moving Forward
March 29
Dear Atrium Families,
While we can’t predict what the coming weeks and months will bring, at Atrium we persevere with excellent teaching and learning, and supportive community life. Anticipating that we have a long road ahead of us, already we are working in productive ways through uncertainty, bravely facing the wax-and-wane cycles of fear and comfort. As we strive to interpret the world for our children’s understanding, we are helping them to feel safe in our arms and in our homes. Though we are at a distance from each other, we find joy in the unexpected silver linings of this unprecedented moment in our lives.
As our new practices grow better each day, the school’s Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees work simultaneously to ensure Atrium School’s long-range prosperity through––and beyond––this tumultuous time. The Leadership Team now meets daily, and the Board of Trustees meets weekly to surface new questions and challenges, and anticipate the future. In the weeks to come, we will share more with you about this work, and solicit your questions and insights.
Below are various messages about communications, resources for families, continuity of learning, and calendar information. As always, if you have questions you may reach me at mcarter@atrium.org or by cellphone at 617-877-3003.
Communications Flow
In last week’s Google Form Feedback Survey, parents overwhelmingly appreciated Atrium’s early communications about COVID-19. “Communications have been clear, comprehensive, compassionate and informative” read one typical comment. We also heard: streamline our messages.
Moving forward, Atrium has a webpage called “Atrium from Afar” that centralizes links to grade-level web pages; school updates; and parent resources compiled by school counselor Lara Buchanan.
Teachers remain the primary contacts about your child’s progress. Kathy Hanson guides curriculum and instruction school-wide, and is also available to you.
What’s happening in your home? Please share photos of your kids via your password-protected MyAtrium portal. Drop files into the Family Communications Folder.
Support and Connection
At a time like this, interpersonal support and open communication go a long way. To that end:
School counselor Lara Buchanan offers office hours through this online schedule for Zoom or phone appointments. Separately, Lara is organizing Lunch Bunch sessions for younger students.
This week, Kathy and I will host informal “water cooler” parent Zoom sessions. We’d like to hear how things are going, and what’s on your mind. Participate in any of these:
Wednesday April 1 at 8:00 a.m., noon, and 5:00 p.m.
Thursday April 2 at 8:00 a.m. and noon.
On Thursday evening, April 9 at 7:30 p.m., I will host a Head of School “Fireside Chat” for parents.
Zoom credentials for these sessions will be sent early this week.
Teaching and Learning
In last week’s Google Form Feedback Survey, parents again overwhelmingly commended Atrium’s rapid transition to distance teaching and learning. It is also evident that families with children of all ages are balancing screen time with screen-free time, and synchronous teacher-led work with asynchronous independent work. Beginning this week, you will observe:
the ongoing presence of specialist teachers in your children's weekly learning.
Further one-to-one outreach to students and families, and more small group instruction in grades 1-3.
After-School staff have built their own resource page with fun extension activities.
Teaching and learning looks and feels different now, but we are guided by simple and familiar principles: Community is vital. Excellent learning is individualized. Personal relationships are paramount. Joy in a time of worry brings comfort.
Calendar Notes
To reiterate what I shared with you a few days ago:
On Friday April 3, there will be no school. As previously planned, our teachers will use that day to advance and refine their work in distance teaching and learning.
April Vacation is happening as previously scheduled for Monday April 20 to Monday April 27, with school resuming on Tuesday April 28.
The Mini-Performances scheduled for Friday April 17 are happening! We will create a virtual assembly for everyone to tune into simultaneously that day. Mini-Performances will be comprised of pre-recorded videos that Atrium students make. More details to come!
As Head of School, it’s gratifying to share these refinements and plans, and to witness how we are all taking charge of the factors within our control. There are so many questions we simply cannot answer right now, and yet I take great comfort at what we’ve all accomplished thus far. A personal anecdote to that end: I have a large post-it note from two weeks ago on my desk (meaning, my dining room table!). The note feels already like an ancient document, full of early questions that arose. Two weeks ago those questions were urgent, but the answers were unknown. I was deeply worried that we wouldn’t find solutions.
Looking at that sticky note now, I gladly see how far we’ve come, how we resolved those early urgent needs. New questions loom in my mind, of course, and I fill new sticky notes every day. And yet, I know that soon, these questions also will have answers. We will continue to make our way just as we have so far: with powerful perseverance, effective teamwork, out-of-the-box inventiveness, and deep kindness. These capacities are what we teach children at Atrium, and these are what we ourselves model for our young people. Thank you for your own strength and partnership in this effort.
Warmly,
Marshall
P.S.: The Two-Minute Giraffe Challenge was a great success! Now it’s time for the Atrium Hula Hoop Video Challenge: please record a video (15 seconds or less, vertically-filmed) of your child, your family, your pet hamster Hula Hooping––improvise if you don't have a hula hoop at home! Then, drop your video in the Family Communications Folder in MyAtrium, in the Hula Hoop Challenge folder. Videos will be added to Instagram Stories and shared to Facebook Stories once the challenge is complete! Deadline: 10 a.m. on Friday April 3!