Dear Canterbury Community,

I hope that you have all had some time to adjust to the new circumstances that are affecting all of our lives – teleworking logistics, childcare challenges, mild to severe cases of cabin fever. Though there are certainly some positives in this situation – all my children are under one roof for the first time in a long time, for instance – I, for one, have been humbled by just how much I miss simple face-to-face interaction with students, parents, and with my colleagues. That relational quality is such an important aspect of the Canterbury experience, and we are working to do all that we can to preserve this community element for our students and families.

Before Spring Break, I sent you all a note to let you know that our faculty would be working diligently during the break to create remote learning experiences – synchronous (happening in real time) and asynchronous (happening when it's convenient to the learner) – that represent the best of a Canterbury education, while also building in more opportunities for circle time, advisory, Chapel, club meetings, and, perhaps, other remote gatherings. The week before break was so important to the work of the faculty as we all realized that we would need to pivot to remote learning for the next month – faculty became familiar with a variety of communication and organizational tools, collaborated with each other while offering feedback and suggestions, and began their planning for what a longer period of remote learning would look like. Your children's Division Director will be reaching out to you in the next day or so with more specific information about their experiences over the next month – reaffirming certain policies and processes, and informing you of any changes to learning platforms, schedules, and learning opportunities.

I am so grateful for the dedication and flexibility of our faculty, and I certainly hope you are pleased with the results of their efforts on behalf of your children. We are dedicated to an ongoing, evolving design process for our remote learning program to ensure that we are providing the best possible educational experience for your children. We will provide, beginning during the week of April 13, weekly formal opportunities for you to provide feedback on your children's and your family's experience with remote learning, so that we can incorporate your feedback and suggestions into lesson planning and design. Of course, an email to your children's teachers or Division Director with feedback and suggestions is always welcome, as well.

Your partnership with us in this way will help us continue to refine our remote learning experience. Each week of refinement will undoubtedly help us build upon an already robust program, as well as position us very strongly should we be in a position to have to continue with a remote learning platform for the remainder of the school year.

Thank you so much for your support and your flexibility during this difficult set of circumstances.

Sincerely,

Bill Ennist
Head of School
Canterbury School