September 14, 2020
Dear RAUC Families,
Here we finally are, at the first day of school, this Wednesday, September 16, 2020. RAUC teachers are ready to welcome students virtually at 9am Wednesday. At Listening Conferences, advisors are personally giving out the link and checking that students know how to get to the first meeting. Students and families can also email advisors if they haven’t gotten the code--the advisor is listed in Aspen. By the first day we will also have on our website a link to all the advisory codes. And, of course, if there is still a problem, you can always call the office!
We know there is anxiety as students wonder: Will I get along with my classmates? How do I know how to get to classes? Will I be able to manage remote learning? So teachers have planned a schedule that eases students into remote learning. The first day will be spent in advisory--two teachers with 12 - 16 students, making connections to each other and making sure everyone understands the schedule and how to get to classes. Students will meet two core academic teachers on Thursday and two on Friday. Thursday we will start introducing students to their specials teachers as well (World Language, PE, Health, and Visual and Performing Arts); students will have met them all live by the end of next week. On Friday, students will wrap up the week at a virtual grade level assembly. As a reminder, the first week is half days, 9-12, to help students get back into the swing of school routines.
I’ll be honest--we are anxious, too. We care so much about our students and their learning and we know we will have to learn and adjust as we go. That said, I have been so impressed with RAUC educators. They have been working incredibly hard in school and department teams since September 1 getting ready to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences. While it is a year like no other, they are looking for ways to take advantage of the unique opportunities that remote learning does offer.
We know that this year, more than any other, we will need to rely on our partnership with you. A strong partnership relies on effective and open communication. We commit to being transparent, to proactively sharing information as much as possible, and to listening to you and our students so we can reflect and adjust as we go. You can count on a weekly newsletter, which, starting in October, will include a monthly preview of what will be covered in each class. You can also count on monthly community meetings and monthly individual conferences with your student’s advisor.
I will wrap up as I often do in my communication with RAUC staff: We got this! Onward!
--Julie Craven, Head of School