Brighton School
A strong, safe, and caring community.
A Letter from the Assistant Head of School
Dear Parents:
I would like to begin with a sincere note of thanks, not only to you, our parents, for your incredible support and agility during this unprecedented time; I also send a heartfelt thank you to all of the nurses, doctors, medical teams, and first responders for their selfless commitment to keeping our community safe.
As we approach our second full week of Distance Learning … in one word, it’s been inspiring! Inspiring to see how students embrace this new way of learning. Inspiring to see our parents join us as partners in continuing their child’s education. Inspiring that in spite of navigating life under a Shelter at Home mandate, we see the connection and warm smiles of our students and teachers -- all working together to be engaged and passionate about learning in this new way. Nurturing this connection with teachers and classmates is key to helping your child feel secure with a sense of normalcy at a time of serious disruption.
We are also inspired by parents who have taken time to share feedback -- we are listening carefully and in the days and weeks ahead, you will see enhancements to our various distance learning programs based on the constructive feedback received!
Next week, we look forward to augmenting the distance learning schedule with more content and connection. Please know that your teachers and our administrative team are an email away if you have any questions or concerns. We understand that as parents, you are shouldering multiple responsibilities, and we remain available to help support you and your child through these unprecedented times.
Although we all look forward to returning to our physical classrooms, we are confident that our robust distance learning program will continue to deliver an accelerated learning approach that goes well beyond what many schools are providing, or have chosen not to provide during this critical time. Our distance learning program offers a significant degree of educational continuity. Similar to summer, without a program in place, students can quickly fall behind at a critical time in their education.
As challenging as this period is for all of us, life will get back to normal, and we will return to our campus. When we do, students who have continuously taken part in our distance learning program will enjoy a seamless transition, and should be well-prepared to matriculate to the next grade level.
As we shared with you in prior communications that kicked off our Distance Learning Program, our education team has taken a very thoughtful and intentional approach to how distance learning can be most effectively accomplished for the various program levels. Here we’d like to expand on some of the specific objectives, goals and benefits we are targeting for the program in which your child is enrolled.
Early Childhood
Balance of learning and play. We realize that there are real consequences for interrupting a child’s education and, while not always perfect, we’re committed to providing high-quality learning experiences to help your child grow smarter, stronger and kinder. The lessons that we are sharing are rooted in the research of early childhood development, making use of the child’s immediate environment and activating their natural curiosity for learning. All the learning experiences that we are providing remain fully aligned to our curriculum goals and will allow your child to be successful at the next level.
Personalized feedback on learning. One of the reasons why you likely chose to join our school was so that your child is known and is provided a personalized learning experience. This remains our commitment even in a distance learning scenario. Every day will start with a morning Zoom where the children check-in with their teacher, say “hi” to their friends, participate in storytime and share their learning. You are able to share photos and evidence of your child’s learning with school staff so that the natural rhythm between student and teacher remains and schooling can resume with ease.
Sharing the load. We know that it’s sometimes challenging to keep a child’s attention. Like you, our administrative team and teachers are dealing with many of the same complexities of balancing family needs and professional responsibilities. While we’re not able to supervise your child’s learning by being physically present, our staff are curating a thoughtful and purposeful sequence of learning experiences. Our hope is that this lightens your load, helps with the sanity and allows you to attend to your professional responsibilities.
Friendship and Connection. Keeping friendships and connections in place can help your child feel regulated, calm and make a potentially scary situation feel much more predictable. We are providing valuable access for much-needed opportunities for students to interact with their teachers and peers, addressing the social isolation they are currently experiencing.
Elementary
Commitment to rich and rigorous learning. Our ongoing goal is to deliver essential, high-quality instruction through Zoom, supported by clear learning plans for independent study so that your child continues to grow. We realize that there are real consequences for interrupting a child’s education and, while not always perfect, we’re committed to ensuring the completion of our rich and rigorous curriculum that will allow your child to be successful at the next grade level.
Personalized feedback on learning. One of the reasons why you likely chose to join our school was so that your child is known and is provided a personalized learning experience. This remains our commitment even in a distance learning scenario. Every day starts with a morning Zoom where students check in with their teacher, ask questions, and share their learning. During individual learning conferences, students share what they have achieved and the teacher uses the time to check for understanding, pinpoint individual student needs, and provide personalized feedback and instruction.
Sharing the load. We know that it’s sometimes challenging to keep a child’s attention. Like you, our administrative team and teachers are dealing with many of the same complexities of balancing family needs and professional responsibilities. While we’re not able to supervise your child’s learning by being physically present, our team of expert teachers and curriculum planners are curating a thoughtful and purposeful sequence of classes and learning plans. Our hope is that this lightens your load, helps with the sanity and allows you to attend to your professional responsibilities.
Friendship and Connection. Keeping friendships and connections in place can help your child feel regulated, calm and make a potentially scary situation feel much more predictable. We are providing valuable access for not only the delivery of live instruction but also much-needed opportunities for students to interact with their teachers and peers, addressing the social isolation they are currently experiencing.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support.
Stay healthy and stay safe,
Suzanne Adams
Assistant Head of School
Brighton School
suzanne.adams@brightonschool.com
Resources for Parents
How to talk to you kids about Coronavirus
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus
Challenge Success - Tips and Tools for Parents
https://www.challengesuccess.org/resources/covid-19-resources-for-remote-learning/
Helping Your Children Cope
All children react differently to stress. It is important now, more than ever, to be looking for even the slightest changes in your child's behavior. This may include irritability, excessive worry, sadness, unexplained pain, excessive crying, avoiding activities, and many more.
You can provide the best support for your kids by calmly and confidently dealing with your own stresses first. Children react to what they see in the adults around them. Below is a list of helpful tools to use when teaching your children to cope with stress:
* Reassure students that they are safe.
* Reassure students that they doing their best and that it is ok to feel overwhelmed.
* Encourage students to communicate their fears and anxieties, be prepared to listen.
* Create a schedule at home. Let this schedule include wake times, bed times, meal times, and times for school. Also, make sure to include down time. Keeping a schedule will provide a sense of normalcy and allow students to know what to expect each day.
* Encourage students to engage in activities they like (sewing, coloring, shooting hoops, etc.).
* Help students connect with others. Virtual play dates or gab sessions are really good for the soul.
* Teach children the importance of taking care of their bodies - including daily exercise, deep breathing, and get plenty of sleep. Also, teach them the importance of a well balanced diet.
* Limit exposure to news coverage.
* Most importantly, BE A ROLE MODEL. Make sure you are taking care of yourselves.
Special Request
Please send you information to my email address: suzanne.adams@brightonschool.com
Continuing Our Tradition of Serving Others
Suzanne Adams
Brighton School
Email: suzanne.adams@brightonschool.com
Website: www.brightonschool.com
Location: 21705 58th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, WA, USA
Phone: (425) 640-7067