Dear GFA Families,
Yesterday, Governor Lamont announced that in-person classes will be canceled for K-12 public schools for the remainder of this academic year. GFA will comply with that directive and continue with our distance learning plan for the remainder of this academic year to ensure the health and safety of our students, families, and employees. I suspect this news does not come as a surprise, and while remote learning is not the way any of us would prefer to conclude our school year, my hope is that this will help you and your family to plan the next few weeks.
On behalf of our teachers, thank you for the investment of time and effort that all of you have devoted to this process. We know that you're balancing a range of challenges in your lives during this time, and we're incredibly appreciative of all that you've done to help make the remote learning process a successful one.
End of year activities
We recently announced to our seniors and their families a plan to safely award diplomas on June 4. We also look forward to an in-person commencement ceremony as complete as social distancing will allow on July 23. The Class of 2020 has been nothing short of inspiring as they've navigated an unprecedented senior spring. We are excited to honor this exceptional and historic class.
We are currently refining plans for our Fourth Grade Moving Up Assembly and our Middle School Closing Assembly, as well as creating frameworks for closure for students in all of our grades. You will hear more about this from the division heads toward the end of next week.
Summer Academy and Camp GFA
We are pleased to announce that GFA will be significantly expanding our virtual Summer Academy course offerings. Next week, GFA students will have the first opportunity to register for Summer Academy classes, including some new classes inspired by our May Term curriculum and several courses offered by our longtime partner Global Online Academy. These for-credit and workshop courses will be geared towards learners in grades 5-12 and will take place between June 15 and July 31. Be on the lookout for course descriptions, dates, and registration details this week: current and incoming GFA students will have priority enrollment on May 15. Unfortunately, due to the in-person nature of Camp GFA and its early summer timing, we will have to cancel Camp GFA programming. All families currently enrolled will receive a full refund.
Upcoming distance learning survey
In early April we asked for your input through a survey and integrated your feedback into our process - adjusting schedules in all divisions, finding new ways to foster community remotely, and refining our practices. We have solicited student feedback along the way as well, and, true to form, your children have played an active role in helping guide the evolution of our program this spring. As we head into the last three weeks of the term, we want to invite parent input once more. You will receive a survey tomorrow morning asking, again, for your feedback. Thank you in advance for your input.
Looking ahead
One of the gifts that challenging times can offer us is an opportunity to emerge having learned something new about ourselves - discovering capacities we were unaware we had. Across divisions, our students have shared stories about growth, from the very practical (time management, collaborating across networks, email etiquette), to deeper life skills (dealing with uncertainty, coping with disappointment, and supporting struggling friends). And without fail, our students have described a deeper sense of connection to their families - a gift that will make a positive difference in their lives for years to come.
Please continue to stay safe and take care. Bob Whelan 'P24 Head of School Greens Farms Academy | 35 Beachside Avenue | Westport, CT 06880 |