Brief Survey Results & Highlights

Greenhill Families,As we begin the week, I wanted to share some brief highlights from our remote-learning survey and some reminders about logistics for the weeks ahead.First, thank you to everyone who responded to the survey. More than 50% of our families participated, and we received a lot of helpful feedback.WHERE WE'VE BEEN MOST EFFECTIVE
The survey revealed that providing connection with teachers and demonstrating care of students were two of the ways in which our remote learning program has been the most effective. We entered this phase of remote learning with those two goals among our primary objectives, and it was great to hear that we've accomplished them.AREAS OF WHERE WE CAN IMPROVE
It was also clear that our students miss and need to see each other, and thus it was no surprise that provide more opportunities for connection with classmates was the most commonly selected area for improvement. You shared other valuable feedback as well, ranging from concerns about the volume of work to the number digital tools required to finish assignments. We also noted your strong desire for more synchronous instruction across all four divisions. We are working on plans for that and will have additional information for you coming soon.Director of Academics Jason Yaffe and our division heads are reviewing the survey data in more detail. We will be sharing more of this information with you this week, and we will use it to continue to refine and adjust our educational programming for the weeks to come.TECHNOLOGY DEVICES FOR PRESCHOOL & LOWER SCHOOL
We heard from Preschool and Lower School families about the technology required to engage in remote learning. Based on that early feedback, I am happy to share that we have offered families the opportunity to borrow laptops and iPads from the school, and those devices were shared with families this weekend.ADDITIONAL REMINDERS
I also wanted to share a few additional reminders and logistical updates:

• Wednesday, April 8 is Passover. We have asked faculty to be mindful of evening homework that night, given family events that will be taking place.

• Friday, April 10 is a school holiday. We will not have any remote classes that day, and we have encouraged faculty to be mindful of weekend assignments given that Easter falls on April 12.

• Late last week, the SPC cancelled the remainder of the Spring 2020 athletic season. Teams will be hearing more from their coaches soon about the path forward. We all share the disappointment of our student athletes and coaches who have worked so hard to prepare for the spring season.

• Year-end celebrations and ceremonies are top of mind for all of us. We are working on contingency plans should school closure extend beyond the beginning of May. I sent a note to seniors and their families last week, and we will be in touch with other grade levels that are scheduled for milestones events this spring.

Again, thank you for your compassion and flexibility during these two weeks. This global pandemic is a crisis the likes of which none of us has experienced in our lifetimes. We are striving to maintain the wellbeing of our students while continuing to advance our academic mission, knowing that we will exceed some of your expectations, meet others, and fall short of some. Our students remain at the heart of every decision we make, and if we continue to keep students at the center, then I know we will be successful.My best,Lee J. Hark
Head of School