Dear Nueva Community,
As we shelter in place this week and until April 7—and perhaps longer, according to Governor Newsom—it is heartening that as a community we are sheltering virtually and with one another. The last few weeks have demonstrated how deeply we care for one another. We try to implement what we stand for—kindness, compassion, and action. That is seen in our teachers’ emails to students, the remote learning classes that are being piloted in Upper School today, the advisories that began in Middle School yesterday, and the Lower School Zoom class meetings that begin this morning. Please read more about the specific plans for each division in our remote learning plan.
Our teachers are imagining creative solutions for our students. They have gone above and beyond to implement virtual learning in all three divisions, and they are doing their best to provide a steady and safe learning environment. Division heads have sent out surveys to students and parents to collect the feedback we need to adjust in real time. We are a community that values iteration. To serve your children well, we need to hear what is working well and where we need to adapt.
As we are adjusting to this newest “new normal,” countless people have come forward with offers of help and support for families in need. We are in the process of creating Nueva’s Community Cares program, modeled on our Helping Hands program, for our families in need, whether that is help with driving, shopping, or emergency childcare. That program is in the development stage and will be rolled out by the end of next week. If you have immediate needs, please let me know now how we might best support you.
Let me state the obvious. We are in a crisis, and, as a nation, we have experienced this uncertainty and depths of despair before, but not for many years. What keeps us grounded in times like these is recalling that optimism and compassion lead to action. As a child, I remember my father recounting the impression Franklin Roosevelt’s fireside chats had on his family and on our nation. In times of hardship, my father often quoted FDR—“There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” That one phrase empowered a generation to unite in solidarity and hope, and helped families like my own to overcome significant challenges.
Like my father’s generation, we find ourselves in unprecedented times. Many of us are afraid of what the future will bring—and yet, we also hear stories of heroic efforts, finding hope amidst this uncertainty. We are in the process of problem-solving, imagining creative solutions, and unleashing the power of the collective will. David Brooks ends his thought-provoking piece in this
New York Times article with a plea to offer help when needed, to be our best selves.
Please visit the Nueva coronavirus webpage, which is updated daily with useful tips to oversee remote learning in your homes—Remote Learning Expectations for US/MS Students and Remote Learning Considerations for Parents—important messages from local and national health departments, and helpful articles. I particularly found the interview with Peter Piot, director of London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, quite illuminating.
We know that we are all in this together, even as things are changing rapidly. We’ll navigate the rapids together. Please rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep us connected as a community, to find our shelter in each other. In addition to division heads’ updates, I will be sending out a whole-school update twice a week.
I wish you and your families a healthy and safe week.
All the best,
Diane
