Adapting & Innovating

Adapting and Innovating

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

ROBS was the first private school of its peers to open for in-person instruction in August 2020. Lower School and Middle School opened in hybrid models with half of the students on campus and half virtual, alternating daily (LS) and weekly (MS). All Preschoolers attended on campus in reduced class sizes. With ROBS as the example, Houston-area peer schools opened their campuses in the weeks that followed.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Digital art students designed the set backdrops for the Middle School musical production, The Wizard of Oz, which was filmed using a green screen instead of performing live.

The 2020-21 school year confirmed, above all, that school is a human endeavor requiring human contact and connection. Platforms like Zoom helped bridge the distance, but they’ll never replace the joyful learning that occurs through shared experiences in shared spaces.

School during an uncontained pandemic demanded shapeshifting – hybrid classrooms, lessons transmitted through a screen, virtual musicals. It was like a prolonged exercise in creative abrasion—the process of simulating friction within a work group to generate new ideas. Because challenging circumstances can breed innovation, many organizations practice creative abrasion on purpose! We wouldn’t ask for another year of COVID, but it’s worth reflecting on the innovations that emerged from an impossible situation.

OUTDOOR LEARNING

Reflecting the School’s strategic initiative to promote health and wellness, Middle School students enjoyed frequent, scheduled outdoor breaks for physical movement and social connection on the terraces of the new Mosing building. Because they were cohorted by grade level, Middle School students were able to mix and mingle with all friends in the grade.

READING WORKSHOP

During first grade readers workshop Greyson Myers reads to his classmate Luke Williams using a tripod and the class iPad. Remote learners logged in to daily lessons via Zoom following the same lessons and schedule as their classmates. Preserving opportunities to communicate and collaborate was a cornerstone of planning.

What’s Staying

• Parent-teacher conference virtual option • Virtually accessible chapel services • Option to attend back-to-school night virtually • Distribution of Parent Association meeting recordings • Optional at-home projects for the All-school Day of Service on MLK Jr. holiday weekend

SECOND GRADE MUSICAL

Second graders filmed scenes for their annual Christmas play in different locations around campus since parents could not attend a live performance. The recorded format meant parents, grandparents, and other loved ones could “attend” the play regardless of distance or calendar conflicts. And the outdoor set and costume changes for filming added panache for the budding thespians.

PRESCHOOL CHAPEL

In lieu of in-person services in the sanctuary, Preschool chapel was livestreamed to parents who could attend virtually while their children participated from their classrooms. Lower School and Middle School chapel links were posted weekly on the ROBS web portal so families could worship together when their schedules allowed. The virtual formats of community traditions like chapel enhanced accessibility for parents and caregivers who typically cannot attend these events in person.

Even with some unconventional approaches to learning (i.e., hybrid models, sporadic quarantines, cohorts, etc.), school happened. And without a single instance of on-campus COVID transmission. Thank you to our parents for jumping through hoops to make this year a success. Your support made all the difference.

ADMISSION

With visitor restrictions in place, the Admission Office launched an online virtual tour of ROBS for applicant families. The virtual tour will continue to live on the website, and the office will incorporate more virtual events and activities for prospective families who value the convenience of the virtual option.

ROBS DAY OF SERVICE

More than 300 ROBS students, parents, and teachers participated in the annual All-school Day of Service—from their homes! With some extra work on the front end, parent volunteers were able to deliver materials and supplies to families’ homes so parents and children could serve together. Families completed their projects over the MLK Jr. weekend, allowing parents who typically work on the MLK Jr. holiday to participate in the community-building event.

PARENTS SATISFIED WITH THE ACADEMICS

PARENTS SATISFIED WITH ROBS’ CHARACTER AND SPIRITUAL EDUCATION

PARENTS BELIEVE ROBS IS AN EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

PARENTS SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THEIR CHILD’S TEACHERS

SAY ROBS’ APPROACH TO WELLNESS MEETS THEIR CHILD’S NEEDS

HAD A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHOOL’S COVID PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES