Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff:
Compassion Prayer 2020 – 2021
Creator God, through the Xaverian spiritual value of compassion, open our hearts to the experiences of others, and inspire us to answer your call to be servant leaders. Enable us to welcome all people as unique expressions of your love. Challenge us to journey with those in need, those who suffer, and those on the margins. Empower us to follow our hearts, act for justice, and live lives of mercy and forgiveness. Amen. We are reaching out today to update you on a number of different items related to the opening of school and our PREP COMMUNITY COVENANT.
Zoom Room Installation Our Zoom Room installation project is on schedule. We have created a demonstration room to institute training resources for faculty. During our week of professional learning (August 31 to September 3), faculty will have the opportunity to experiment with the functionality of Zoom Rooms. Installation is scheduled to be complete by September 8, 2020. Stay tuned to our social media channels for a video that will demonstrate a Zoom Room in action.
In our Town Hall Meetings and the PREP COMMUNITY COVENANT, we noted that a potential testing protocol for students was under discussion. In consultation with our medical advisory group, we have decided not to offer a testing protocol for students at the present time. The advisory group has verified that the three most effective ways to limit transmission of illness on campus remain: mask-wearing, daily health attestation, and staying home when sick. Members of the advisory group have emphasized repeatedly that these three steps are most crucial in the effort to minimize any transmission of illness.
A small number of faculty have been approved to teach classes remotely. The School is hiring teaching assistants to be present in classrooms on behalf of remote teachers. Teachers will do all grading and lesson planning. Teaching assistants will be present in the classroom to support student learning and ensure the Zoom room technology is functioning correctly. Teaching assistants will participate in a training program with the School prior to our reopening.
The School is hosting an online prayer service and encouraging all parents, students, faculty and staff to attend. The 30-minute service will help bring our community together and will be highlighted by a signing ceremony in which all pledge to do their part to support and uphold the PREP COMMUNITY COVENANT. All families are invited to participate in the prayer service, which will take place at 7 pm on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. You can view the prayer service by clicking here. We encourage all members of the Prep community to attend.
We are grateful to the many parents who participated in our most recent online discussion about racial justice. The program had a high level of engagement and dialogue. We earnestly continue our work of promoting active anti-racism through professional learning programs for faculty and staff. We are also continuing our work of assessing and adjusting curriculum, as necessary, and our constructive reflection on the voices and experiences that are part of a Prep education. Once we launch this school year, we will continue to share updates on the work we are doing to strengthen and support this school-wide commitment.
Each of us—students, teachers, coaches, counselors, staff members, and administrators—will control what we can control, and do our absolute best with the circumstances presented to us. We will lean on each other for support, and we are heartened by the knowledge that we're at our best when we work together.
Peace and prayers,
Ed Hardiman, Ph.D. Headmaster
Keith Crowley, Ph.D. Principal / Associate Head of School 72 Spring Street • Danvers, Massachusetts 01923 • 978-774-1050 |