Staying Open in a Closed World Nancy Mugele, Head of School
To say that this has been an unusual academic year is an understatement. While we know that uncertainty continues to exist related to COVID-19, we are proud to have remained open for in-person instruction since September. I am grateful to my colleagues for navigating a global health crisis and rising to the occasion with resilience, perseverance and grit. On March 16, 2020, the day that the Kent School community was supposed to return to campus following our spring break, the faculty met on campus to plan our pivot to distance learning. While Maryland was under a stay-at-home order, we took a collective two day breath, and exhaled with a virtual and connected learning experience for two and a half months with little planning or professional development, all while being anxious about our own health and the health of our families. Our program was outstanding, but we knew that we needed some professional learning and we really wanted to offer in-person instruction. Beginning in June, after our drive-in style Graduation for the Class of 2020, our faculty embarked upon a journey to become Google Educator Certified at Level One and dove deeper into mind, brain and education science in the virtual classroom with our partner for the past four years, the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) at St. Andrew’s School in Potomac, MD. At the same time, we convened a Return to Campus Committee including administrators, faculty, and medical professionals with input from the Kent County Health Department. The team met weekly. Decisions were made, changed, re-planned and re-thought regularly. The plan is a robust set of health and safety measures designed to allow the School to adapt to the changing conditions of the pandemic and still provide educational continuity for our students.
In 2021, celebrating the 100th Day of School was perhaps more meaningful than ever.
Osprey Outlook 3
