On Monday, August 10th Fortune Academy will head back to campus for in person classes for the beginning of the 2020-21 School year. While we are looking forward to reuniting with our students and families, we realize that this beginning is unique and unprecedented. We continue to plan, prepare, and respond to the ever-changing needs of this time we find ourselves currently living in.
While we long for the more carefree school days of the past, we must realize that the main heart and purpose of school still exists, to nurture, care for, and meet the learning needs of our students. We continue to be fully committed to our mission to educate and equip students with learning differences to be competent and confident lifelong learners.
We will still give you a warm welcome and a friendly wave at the carline. We will embrace the hearts of your students and help them find success and value in our classrooms. We will have fun, laugh, explore, experiment, and try new things. At the end of the day we will be better for learning together. Please consider the tips below when talking with your student about the reopening of the 2020-21 school year:
Talk to your student about what is happening in a way they can understand. Keep it simple and appropriate for each child’s age.
Provide students with opportunities to talk about what they are thinking. Encourage them to share concerns and ask questions.
Children react, in part, to what they see from the adults around them. When teachers and parents respond calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their students.
Help students realize that things are different for everyone now and that together we will get more comfortable with following the new precautions and guidelines that will help us return safely to school.
Please note that we are utilizing guidelines from the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services in order to reopen our doors. We are doing our best to effectively utilize our space and support social distancing to the fullest extent possible. While COVID-19 will continue to pose a threat until a vaccine becomes widely available, we understand that proper protocols, vigilantly followed, can allow us as a school—and as a society—to mitigate the risks of contracting or spreading infection in any scenario, thus allowing us to have on-campus classes. At the same time, we are equally prepared to shift to an online format in the event—and at any time—a shift in format becomes advisable.
We hope that these tips will help your children feel safe returning to school. We are excited to have them back in the classroom. I have no doubt in our educator’s ability to continue the Fortune way and support your students' needs with kindness, steadfastness, and proper preparation. If you have any questions regarding our plan to head back, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Vanessa Coles
Head of School – Fortune Academy