Mar.16-20

by Melanie Sylvester · Published March 15, 2020 · Updated March 15, 2020

Dear ES Team,

People, programs, and places are often what we think about when we visualize schools. As a school we focus on serving the needs of our people, developing and delivering our program, and constructing student centered learning places. SSIS has always been committed to continuous improvement, which is why we recognize and invest in each of these areas as part of our school’s strategic plan.

We know that a well articulated curriculum is an asset– and we should be proud of the alignment work that we have been doing in this area, but I believe that the value of a written program can only be determined by the teachers delivering that program– it’s your collective knowledge of both your students and our school’s standards that sets us apart from other international schools. This is why we focus on recruiting, rewarding, and retaining the best teachers!

Our “normal” teaching practice is framed by the notion that the places and spaces on our campus are our students’ third teacher– we have intentionally created learning environments that are student centered and designed to provoke curiosity and support the inquiry process. Perhaps what I have observed during these past six weeks is that COVID-19 can physically take our students away from the teachers in the classroom, but it can’t take the teachers away from our students. It has been amazing to witness our ES Virtual School evolve. You have adjusted your practices and shifted your mindset, but you have not compromised your belief in fostering a caring, creative, student centered, and engaging learning environment!

During this virtual learning experience our place is quiet, but our program is alive– because of our most valuable school resource– our people…YOU!

Thank you for everything you do!

Stay healthy!

Donna

David Carpenter asked me to share this activity:

Virtual School Reflection Activity

The Wellness team recently shared a reflection activity of four questions for you to think about your accomplishments and growth during Virtual School. The focus was on several of the PERMAH pillars along with growth mindset. We have been waiting to share a similar student reflection activity for when they return to school. With an uncertain reentry date, we cannot wait any longer to share the activity with you. We need to continue your efforts to build community supporting the social and emotional needs of students while giving them the opportunity to think about their personal growth.

Here are some questions to adapt to your grade level that you can design an activity around. The activity could be as simple as sending out your version of the questions to have students respond to using your preferred sharing tool whether it be SeeSaw or something like Padlet.