Instructional Continuity 2020-21

With an all-virtual Q1, we minimize health risks and potential disruption. We give ourselves another 6 weeks to monitor the trajectory of the pandemic in our community. More importantly, we afford ourselves the opportunity to take a gradual and safe approach to our return to campus.

Based on emerging research and feedback from students, faculty, and parents/guardians gathered at the end of the last school year, we have made adjustments to our L4L instructional design such as increasing synchronous instruction time, adding a more robust online interface for students, and changing to the quarter system to allow students to focus on fewer classes at a time. We have done this while, like spring 2020,  keeping an eye on the total screen time students will have over the course of each day and week.

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.

Orientations will be virtual. If/when a return to campus for all is possible, ninth and twelfth graders will have a “Part 2” to their orientations, on campus, before everyone returns.

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.

During L4L, students will complete in-home labs with readily-available items or materials supplied by the school. 

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 the library databases and online materials. At this point, students will not be able to access hard copy texts and materials.

Yes. Sarah Janoff-Brinn will be working to support students and families during L4L.

Yes! We have made adjustments based on our new schedule, calendar, and working assumptions about the 2020–21 school year. The 2020-21 Handbook is available here.

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! Our health and safety team (headed by Alejandro Higareda, Mike Joyce, and Francesca Johnson) are exploring these and other questions even as information about such things is evolving. We hope to have more answers in the near future. Families received information on supply lists and book ordering in July.