2 minute read
FROM THE CHAIR
Chair/Board of Trustees Current & Alumni Parent
KIT FROM THE CHAIR
One of the core tenets of the Roeper Philosophy is “to prepare this future generation to deal with the unknown ” Nothing could have been more relevant to the work we did in 2020
Last year was filled with unknowns facing us each and every day In response, the Board took an unusual role in the day-to-day operations of the school The Board’s work must always be focused on preserving the mission, philosophy, and core values of the school with an eye toward long-term strategy and development It is the board’s job to help build the school for our children’s children But in 2020, what is normally operational, became strategic, impacting the long-term health and success of the school In the spring of 2020, the Board led the group of planning task forces charged with developing Roeper’s plan for this extraordinary school year We convened several groups: Steering, to lead and coordinate the effort; Wellness, focusing on mental and physical health; Campus Operations; Teaching and Program; Personnel; Finance and Legal; and Communications Each of these task forces included all constituencies of our community Faculty, staff, administration, trustees, parents, and students were represented and fully participated in the planning process The task forces developed plans for a variety of program delivery models from completely remote learning to various hybrid models to in-person-only learning
The whole time, we were all focused on how to deliver a Roeper education in this unprecedented time We considered our mission, how we could care for the social and emotional needs of our students, and how to protect the physical safety of students, faculty, staff, and families And this planning occurred in a landscape of unknowns Every day we learned new information about the virus and grappled with new legal and medical requirements
As we do at Roeper, we asked for the community’s engagement We surveyed the community, held multiple town halls, and shared draft plans for feedback
Ultimately, we created a plan that allowed our students to return to campus and our faculty to do what they do best – educate and inspire our kids to think as individuals and engage as a community Our faculty re-worked how they teach, developing new teaching methods as the school year evolved and they learned from each other and the students what worked best The dedication, commitment, and creativity of our faculty is unmatched — and this year we saw just how far they could go Not only have the faculty inspired our children, they have inspired the entire community with their tireless efforts to support our students
2020 was a year like no other While I long for a return to “normal” and more time in the physical presence of family and friends, I am thankful for all we learned Not just how to use Zoom or which face masks fit best, but the most important lesson We learned that when pushed beyond our limits, this community comes together We support and care for one another and give each other grace We are, indeed, prepared for the unknown F
