Remote Learning Update, March 27, 2020

Greetings to each and every one of you. I am writing a follow up regarding my earlier communication this week. When Gov. Ralph Northam decided to close all Virginia schools, public and private, for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, we took immediate action. Thereafter, our COVID-19 Planning Team met to discuss the implications and ways we needed to plan the rest of our year. We know, with certainty, we are continuing our program through remote learning for the duration of our school year. In this communication, we have answers to FAQs and a survey for you. We remain committed to informing you, learning from you and delivering our very best, no matter the situation. I continue to send hopes for health, strength and courage to you and your families. Please take care of yourselves. We know that our students' wellness depends upon your wellness.

 

Although this letter contains operational information, above all, I personally want you to know Collegiate is committed to doing everything we possibly can to be a source of comfort, hope and routine no matter the unanticipated reality and future. During Hurricane Katrina, my husband was a school leader and clung to a phrase that remains a North Star for me: “There is no justice, there is just us.” Well, just us for Collegiate is a resilient and powerful group of individuals, a community that will weather this storm with grace, lessons learned and purpose. Let us all commit to this journey for ourselves, our children, our School, our region and our world. We can do this, Cougars!

 

In addition to the logistics, I continue to look for the bright spots in our world. I call your attention to the outstanding teaming, good citizenship, collaboration and support we are experiencing. As such, I want to express my extreme gratitude to different members of Collegiate’s community.

 

A Cougar “shout out” to our Collegiate faculty and staff. Their indefatigable efforts to learn and lean into this complex and quick pivot is nothing short of heroic. I am fortunate to celebrate them and receive many of your testimonials; however, please send your praise to them. The professional Cougar Team is pulling together more than ever.

 

To you, our Collegiate parents, I send admiration. You are learning, alongside your children, how to parent remote learners and share space, schedules and tools, and grow patience in new ways. You deserve multiple virtual high-fives from all of us.

 

To our Collegiate students, JK-12, who jumped into a new version of our School, bravo! Our students are adjusting to new routines, rules, communication patterns and more. They are navigating change without seeing their friends, peers and familiar spaces. I am humbled by their adaptability and courage.

 

To our Collegiate alumni, who are communicating from near and far. Your support, desire to help and affirmation of the impact of your Collegiate experience to guide you during these challenging times strengthens our commitment to our mission delivery and the ever-important purposeful network of Cougars.

 

Beyond and within our Collegiate community, we acknowledge those who are suffering, afraid and sacrificing on our behalf. COVID-19 requires something from each of us; however, those on the front lines of service and solutions have my admiration and our deepest gratitude. We hold all of you close in our hearts and in our thoughts and prayers.

 

We hope our continued planning and development of these Frequently Asked Questions and answers will be helpful. While we may not have all the answers, or imagined all of your questions, we hope our efforts bring more clarity and increased peace of mind for you and your families. We will continue to navigate this ever-changing situation with courage and harnessed intentions to do our very best.

 

These FAQs will be listed on our COVID-19 webpage as well. We will continue to update this page with the most current responses. Should we find that we missed questions, we will add them and our answers. Each day Collegiate’s new routines evolve and we become more nimble. As we prepare, enrich and endure, your feedback helps us become better; we are grateful for the supportive partnership with you, our Collegiate families.

 

As such, we want to hear from you. Today marks the completion of our first week of remote learning and our academic leadership team asks that you fill out this brief, nine-question survey to assist us as we plan for the coming weeks. Your children and our faculty are self-reflecting in this same fashion. Collegiate is committed to being innovative, resourceful, reflective and responsive. We will shape our future efforts based upon what works and what our shared vision depicts. As we continue to deliver our timeless mission, whether in person or remotely, your voice matters.

 

On a personal note, I miss your children. I was told, by my own Cougar children, that I could not Zoom in over their shoulders to remedy my own pangs — duly noted! I look forward to being in touch next week with some updates from our remote learning community and peeks behind the curtain of what is happening at virtual Collegiate. There is so very much to celebrate. In closing, and as we look toward the weekend, may the screens in your vicinity go to “sleep” and be put into time out. May you enjoy the company of the loved ones in your physical space, some laughter, movement, nature, attainable joy and rest.