Distance Learning Spring 2020

Brandeis Marin quickly pivoted to a distance learning plan in March 2020 that closely followed our on-campus schedules. Our students continued to meet online with their teachers daily to cover all curricular benchmarks. Our students participated in synchronous and asynchronous learning, with individual meetings with teachers and specialists including our art, makers design lab, and athletic directors. Our school counselor, as well as our learning resource specialist, provided many resources and held private Zoom meetings with students who needed extra support. Additional parent-teacher conferences were held, as well as sharing multiple parent and student surveys so we could assess our distance learning program and make improvements where necessary.

This summer we are providing all teachers with exceptional professional training in hybrid learning so that teaching will be robust, consistent, and accessible whether delivered in person, on campus, or online (when circumstances require). Classes will share a common learning management system which offers a consistent and efficient user interface for teachers, students, and families. At the instructional level, faculty will build their lessons using a simplified and universal approach to create a predictable rhythm to learning across multiple modalities, subjects, specialists, and student locations (on-campus, online, and blended).

Our plan for the return to school involves three priorities.

• First, school will be a safe and healthy place for students.
• Second, all students will have access to high quality, exceptional learning in a warm, nurturing community.
• Third, our program will be flexible and prepared in the event that school must return home occasionally 

Our dedicated team has worked tirelessly this summer to create a comprehensive Reopening Plan to guide our operations for the 2020-2021 school year. The campus has been thoroughly prepared to welcome students, faculty and staff back to school in a way that supports all the elements of our health and safety plan, including physical distancing between students and staff, use of the outdoor spaces for learning, maximal ventilation of classrooms, expanded hand-washing stations, and much more. In addition, students will continue to engage with hands-on, project-based learning in all grades and classes. With these common, consistent principles and a shared platform underlying instruction, student learning will continue seamlessly even if we must toggle between in-school learning and home due to public health concerns.

Above all, Brandeis Marin will continue to provide the high quality, caring educational experience that is the foundation of our mission while taking all of the necessary steps to safeguard our community. Over the summer we will be working to implement technology systems that will make it easier for our students (and parents!) to access course materials. This should enable us to improve on and reduce the challenges we faced this spring and more effectively and efficiently engage all of our students when they are learning online. A new online learning management system will be rolled out in both the lower and middle school classes to create a single, organized framework for retrieving and submitting schoolwork. We will be providing all of our teachers with robust summer professional development to be sure they are equipped with the training to deliver an exceptional hybrid learning experience for all students.