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Lamplighter
H E A D M A S T E R ’ S
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M E S S A G E
This issue will arrive in the midst of unprecedented, challenging times—severe economic disruptions, massive unemployment claims, ugly racial discord, socioeconomic inequality, our divisive national election campaign, and not least the global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus. Allen-Stevenson has closed its building to students and employees for several months now, and how we should reopen safely next year is still an open question. Everyone has been touched by these crises in significant ways. Without a doubt these are “VUCA” times. They are filled with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, not just for Allen-Stevenson but also for the world around us. Such conditions make people feel afraid and cautious, stressed and lonely, and large parts of our community have been sheltering in place. It is an understatement to observe that the present challenges are not easy for anyone. In retrospect, closing the School in mid-March felt like a temporary move that would probably last only a few weeks. But we quickly realized that the duration would be much longer and that we would have to reinvent the way we educate boys during this period, because the building itself would be closed and we could not use it for instruction. Now we know that remote learning must be included in all of our educational planning. For this spring issue of the Lamplighter, the feature article “A-S Bridge 1.0” describes how our remote learning platform evolved. Initially, we were not quite sure how remote learning would work, but we had to put a reasonably robust platform together for every boy quickly. The article describes the various components of the plan, as well as some unexpected outcomes. The most exciting aspects of this development are the ongoing creativity, innovation and ingenuity our community is showing. What wonderful opportunities it has created for the boys themselves!
