Instructional Continuity 2020-21

Below you will find our updated Quarter 3 hybrid schedule with several adjustments garnered from our learnings in Quarter 2. Our revised calendar can be found here. This new schedule, which offers a robust balance of in-person and virtual learning, will provide students, families, and teachers with consistency and allow us to continue our vigilant health and safety practices that have served us well thus far. Derived from our Quarter 2 experiences, the county’s newest guidance, and your valuable feedback, this schedule will allow us to be on campus two times per week, Wednesday and Thursday, regardless of County Tier status, shelter-at-home orders, or inclement weather. 

Beginning February 16, we will move to Level 2 learning and four in-person half days.  Please see the schedule below.

There are pros and cons to all schedules. Benefits of a more concentrated schedule include greater focus on fewer subjects, allowing for reduced cognitive load (for both students and faculty), daily teacher/student contact, deeper study, and greater retention. Students in a Q-on, Q-off schedule routinely report feeling less stress and more balanced. That said, we ultimately chose a Quarter-on/Quarter-off model in order to achieve the following: reduce the number of contacts each student and teacher has at a time, maximize the credit students can earn in a discrete period of time, and create a more modular/portable schedule.

The fall season got underway in December with one week of activity before the break, and it was great seeing students and coaches back together. The fall season resumed on Wednesday, January 13, with girls volleyball, boys and girls water polo, and boys and girls cross country all getting back into training action. Although we know that the CIF has canceled all fall sport regional and state championships, we are still holding out a glimmer of hope that we will be able to compete in some fashion before the season ends in early-to-late-February. 

The spring season, scheduled to start with soccer on February 15, swimming and tennis on March 8, and then basketball, baseball, track and field, golf, and lacrosse on March 15, at this time has not been adjusted or canceled. As we did with the fall season, we plan to move forward with those seasons as scheduled. Head coaches will be in touch with more details ahead of the start of their respective season. 

Sometime after Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, we anticipate an update from either the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) or the North Coast Section (NCS). Once we receive that update, we will be in touch. As always, our student-athletes and their experience will remain our number one priority, and we will stay flexible and ready to shift. 

We also offer our MA Daily Movement Program from our Strength and Conditioning Coach Anton. These activities are designed for Athletes and non-athletes alike to find ways to be active and healthy in our daily lives. Jump onto Canvas and give it a try.

Yes, performing arts will continue virtually. While these programs will necessarily need to adapt, students will be supported by master-artist teachers as they create and perform music, dance, and theater studies.

Teachers in our science department are committed to hands-on science no matter the schedule. Students will be provided the materials and tools necessary for completing high quality, engaging science both at home and on-campus.

Students who qualify for learning services support will still receive their accommodations and will continue to have access to learning services personnel for support and guidance. All families and students may continue to reach out to the Director of Learning Services, Rebecca Gustin with any questions.
 

The DesignLab will be closed when campus is closed.

Students will continue to have access to all of the library’s databases and online materials. In addition, the library staff provides both a curbside pick up and delivery option for print materials and limited scans of print materials upon request.

Yes. Sarah Janoff-Brinn will be working to support students and families all year long.

Yes! The 2020-21 Handbook is available here.

To protect our community all health and safety protocols put in the place by the school during the 2020–2021 school year need to be followed. A student who behaves in an intentional and flagrant manner that endangers the health of others, in particular related to the spread of COVID-19, will be subject to serious disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.

Although we are having to shift a significant portion of our program to an at-home, online format, the cost of delivering an MA education remains the same.  Ensuring that we remain in a strong position regarding compensation of our faculty and staff, cleaning and maintaining our campus, and supporting the necessary technology and administrative functions of the school, requires that we continue to charge the tuition that was published for the 2020-21 school year.  

We also recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has created significant economic disruption for our community, and we expect more students may need tuition assistance in the coming academic year. Marin Academy has set aside additional funds for tuition assistance in order to meet the demonstrated needs of our students and families. Please direct all inquiries to Tuition Assistance Coordinator, Leslie Rojas.

Attendance in classes, assemblies, class meetings, and advisory is still required and will be recorded. Like all times, if there are extenuating circumstances that keep a student from attending, they should reach out to their teacher, advisor and/or class dean. Credit/no credit isn’t recommended as a general approach, but can be requested and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Good question! Yes. We distributed boxes of materials for each individual student in August. When we return to campus in Level 2 or Level 3 we will have detailed restrictions and policies in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.