During this period of COVID-19 disruption to education, all schools have had to reconsider teaching norms and practices. Great schools will use this difficult period to reinvent themselves to become better, safer and more flexible – not just implement temporary responses to COVID-19. How do we turn these challenges into opportunities? Read on!
Safety First
As the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority, we built our 2020-21 Plan For Success by starting with a comprehensive health and safety plan that informed the steps needed to open our campuses safely in August. And as one might expect from a school, education is a key piece of that safety plan! One positive outcome of this pandemic has been the wide-spread new appreciation and understanding of respiratory disease transmission. This has always been one of the most difficult safety issues for schools, exemplified by annual flu outbreaks. At Country Day School, we will educate students through direct instruction and role modeling with their friends to show how all of us can develop better habits to prevent the spread of respiratory illness. We will incorporate best practices that don’t create anxiety for children, but empower them with confidence to protect their own health and that of their friends and family. This useful education can be reinforced every flu season for a healthier CDS community.
Nimble Adjustments
One of the greatest benefits for independent private schools, like Country Day School, is the ability to respond quickly to new data without being encumbered by unnecessary governance and/or politics. With data changing and science evolving every day, it’s crucial that schools are able to adjust quickly and effectively. Without additional red tape we are able to implement new safety standards or learning options nimbly. For the 2020-21 school year, we’ve enhanced the integration of technology and digital learning platforms to allow for a seamless transition to distance learning as needed. Making flexibility a key part of our strategy helps us drive long-term positive changes, while still solving the short-term issues impacting us today.
Looking to the Future
Remote learning has been growing as an education option for years, starting with post-secondary early innovators challenging large brick-and-mortar universities. Now all universities offer online options, expanding access to higher learning for many. The pandemic has pushed all K-12 schools to have some version of online learning, but most still consider this as only a back-up for the real thing. At Country Day School we are focused on building flexible learning programs that meet the changing needs of families during this pandemic and beyond. Contrary to most virtual models, our Distance Learning option will preserve the important connection between classmates and teachers, whether on campus or off campus. While a 100% online virtual K-12 program will never be ideal for the overall growth of a child, great schools will provide family friendly flexibility with continued innovation in learning and access.
Read more about our 2020-21 Plan For Success and flexible learning programs here. Enrollment for 2020-21 is open! To request admissions information, please fill out an inquiry form:
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