Dear Shaker Road School Kindergarten through Ninth Grade Families,
As you have likely heard, Governor Sununu and New Hampshire Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut ordered schools in New Hampshire to move to a remote learning model through April 3. At that time the Covid-19 situation in our state will be reassessed and the Governor and Commissioner will provide school leadership with additional recommendations moving forward. While some schools will use the coming week to prepare for this model, SRS began putting preparations in place for this possibly over a week ago and will begin remote learning with our Kindergarten through 9th students on Tuesday, March 17. As Commissioner Edelblut reminded us, “remote instruction + remote support = remote learning.” We are confident that our talented faculty members will be able to successfully overcome this situation and provide students with purposeful and challenging academic work.
Over the past week, the Shaker Road School administrative team has been in constant contact with the NH Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services. In preparation for a possible closure, teachers instructed Kindergarten through ninth grade students to bring home textbooks and academic work over the weekend. In the coming hours and days, students and parents will receive additional information from classroom teachers regarding the completion of academic work, how to communicate with teachers to receive support, and how to continue to make forward academic progress. We remind you that students must complete the work that aligns with the SRS curriculum and that this work will be provided and assessed by classroom teachers to ensure continuity and progress in academic areas. While we know students would prefer to work with their peers in a group setting, we encourage you to heed the Governor’s advice and discourage gatherings, including small groups, to protect yourself and your family from exposure and contagion. Shaker Road School does not support the creation of a classroom-like setting which would contradict the advice from Governor Sununu and Homeland Security.
For generations, Shaker Road School been a dependable member of the Concord community providing high quality education and childcare for many students and children. Families who have been part of the SRS community for years know that SRS will rarely close and we pride ourselves on our reliability for working families. However, it is clear that Covid-19 has created an unprecedented situation. A public health emergency such as this is something unlike anything we have ever faced. By following the Governor’s orders and leaning on our faculty to provide quality remote instruction, we hope Shaker Road School can help be part of the solution as we work through this situation.
Should students need to gather belongings from their classroom or lockers, school buildings will be open tomorrow, Monday, March 16 from 8:30 to 3:30 pm.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email.
Sincerely,
Douglas Hicks, M.Ed.
Co-Head of School
Patricia Hicks, M.S.
Co-Head of School
Matthew Hicks, Ph.D.
Principal
Caitlin Connelly, M.A.
Director of Enrollment
