April 2, 2020

From the Head of School

Finding Courage and Inspiration

Dear Families,

I hope this finds you healthy and well at home. I want to begin by saying how much I miss seeing your children every day—the smiles, the hugs, the laughter and their great questions.

We are truly facing something new and challenging, and responding in ways we never imagined would be necessary. As we muster the courage to persevere, I was reminded of this quotation by Eleanor Roosevelt: "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop and look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

I am already so impressed with our community's response: teachers working so hard to connect with students to reassure them, and re-thinking how to deliver curriculum while also managing their own homes and children; students eagerly engaging with classmates in advisory and class meetings, taking in stride the inevitable technical glitches; and our families, balancing work responsibilities with children at home 24/7 and a great deal of anxiety about each day. I appreciate your partnership so much.

We have already heard feedback that is informing changes to our original plans which aim to respond to the needs of parents and students. The biggest change will be the addition of more live (synchronous) meetings next week, rather than waiting until Week 3. Watch for more details from Chrissy Khachane and John Turner, and watch your email for a survey seeking your direct feedback.

I also want to share the news that an adult member of our community has reported a positive test for COVID-19. While this was not unexpected, it is nonetheless upsetting news for our community. This person has not been in contact with any student, faculty or staff member during the possible period of contagion. The individual has asked for privacy while recovering. As you know from news reports, health experts predict an increase in infection rates before the curve flattens; please be aware that we do not plan to announce each individual positive diagnosis we learn about, now that we are more than 20 days removed from the last day we were in school.

Lastly, I want to invite you to participate in a schoolwide project that I hope will bring some sunshine to our lives. Each student is encouraged to create a "Positivity Stone"—simply find a stone, paint a positive word on it, and send a photo of you and/or your family holding it to Andy Bromage, Director of Communications (abromage@footeshool.org). We'll put the photos together into a movie and share them back!

Have a wonderful weekend and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

With gratitude,

Carol Maoz

Head of School

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Distance Learning Resources

If you are looking for information about distance learning, you can find it on our website.

Here are a few helpful links and reminders:

Distance Learning for Grades K–5
Distance Learning for Grades 6–9
Foote's Response to Coronavirus
Information from the Student Health Office
If you need tech support, please email the Foote Help Desk at helpdesk@footeschool.org.

Lower School News

Tomorrow: Lower School Morning Meetings

Students and parents in Grades K–5 are invited to gather on Google Meet tomorrow morning (Friday, April 3) for the first of our virtual morning meetings.

8:30-8:50 a.m. Kindergarten–Grade 2: Join Google Meet by clicking here or using the meeting code sgy-jdzx-wgh. Families who want to join for audio-only by phone can dial 786-540-4809 PIN: 478 233 171#)

9:00-9:20 a.m. Grades 3–5: Join Google Meet by clicking here or using the meeting code vej-wsxs-cdz. Families who want to join for audio-only by phone can dial 267-371-7496 PIN: 701 722 948#)

For fun, students are encouraged to dress in colors by grade:

Kindergarten: GRAY
Grade 1: GOLD
Grade 2: NAVY
Grade 3: GREEN
Grade 4: WHITE
Grade 5: RED

You can find more information on Head of Lower School Chrissy Khachane's blog. Don't forget to subscribe to Chrissy's blog to get tips and updates on happenings in Grades K–5 during distance learning. To subscribe, click here and then click the yellow bell icon at the upper right corner of her blog and follow instructions.

Parent Reminder

No Distance Learning April 10

As a reminder, there will be no school/distance learning on Friday, April 10 in observance of the Good Friday holiday.

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Show Us How #FooteLearns

To help the Foote community stay connected, we want to share photos and stories from distance learning to provide a source of ideas and inspiration. Parents are invited to share photos, videos, anecdotes, screenshots, examples of their children's work, etc. that will be shared in the weekly e-newsletter, our website and social media.

You can also share distance learning stories on your own social media accounts using the hashtag #FooteLearns to connect with others in our community. (Please note this is a new hashtag: we discovered that #FooteFamily was being actively used by enthusiastic families named Foote!)

Thank you in advance for helping us to document this unusual chapter in Foote School's history!

Share a Photo, Video or Story

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Foote Summer Program is On

At this time, we are still planning to run the Foote Summer program. We are keeping a close eye on the spread of coronavirus and will revisit our plans as needed and as directed by state health officials.

Summer Adventures

For children ages 5 and up

Explore, create and make new friends on Foote's 18-acre campus. Learn yoga, art, gardening and more!

Summer Theater

For students entering Grades 7 and up

Learn to act, sing, build a set, design costumes and perform in a major hit musical in Foote's air-conditioned black-box theater. Personalized instruction by Mr. Schlusberg and his outstanding Summer Theater staff!

Find more info on our Summer Program page.

> Register for Summer Adventures

> Register for Summer Theater

Questions? Contact Dawn Walsh, Summer Program Director, at dwalsh@footeschool.org, or Julian Schlusberg at jschlusberg@footeschool.org.

Video

Distance Learning Week 1

The first week of April found Foote conducting school in a way it never has over its 104-year history: students learning at home, connected through the internet, as a pandemic forces the world to rethink every aspect of our daily lives. And while there were plenty of nerves heading into this week, the Foote community quickly showed that it has lost none of its love of learning, with teachers and students approaching their lessons with passion, creativity and a genuine spirit of discovery.

Thanks to all the parents who contributed photos, videos and stories of distance learning. You are truly helping us document this chapter of Foote School's history. If you'd like to submit something for next week, please email Andy Bromage, Director of Communications, at abromage@footeschool.org.

Watch Video