November 20, 2020

Dear Parents,

I want to thank you for the cooperative partnership we have shared during these past 12 weeks. When we made plans to open the campus for in-person instruction, it was with the firm understanding that we had the foundational building blocks to be able to move forward with such a plan: a relatively small population to campus size ratio; teaching spaces that could accommodate the necessary distancing; a variety of indoor and outdoor flexible gathering spaces; detailed health and safety protocols should someone contract the virus; and a thorough sanitization strategy, in addition to other important safety factors inherent in our plan. Still, we knew that the campus could never become a bubble. Members of our faculty, staff, and student community would be coming and going to and from the campus on a daily basis. This variable would require vigilance from all parties involved. After 12 weeks, I can look back with pride on the collective cooperation of the entire Trinity-Pawling community working to protect the common good and health of everyone. Thank you for the partnership that we have shared during these weeks.

Thank you, as well, for your trust in the School and for the sacrifices you have made to have your son engaged in the learning process at Trinity-Pawling, whether he was here in person or engaged in remote learning. While not every student was on campus, there was a critical number of students who were here for in-person instruction, ensuring that the foundation of our School community was nurtured and fortified for the duration. I am grateful for the students, faculty, staff, and parents for all that has been done to support the strength of this community during these challenging times. Indeed, learning happens best when it happens in a caring community.

As we prepare to bring this highly unusual Fall Term to a close, I want to provide you with some more specific information on our Wintersession – the 2.5 weeks of remote instruction that will occur between our Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks. Over the past five years, we have used these 2.5 weeks for a combination of classroom instruction, the interdisciplinary Winter Projects (grades 7-10; most of 12th), and the Global Collaborative Challenge (grades 11, new 12th and PG's). We were able to accomplish this by modifying the classroom instruction schedule to create more time for project-based learning.

When the decision was made that, for the health of the entire community, our instruction would be remote for these 2.5 weeks, we made the additional decision to focus on the project work rather than the classroom instructional work. This decision was made for two important reasons. First, we believed that the project work could be enhanced and expanded to fill the instructional time this short period allows us in ways that augment the educational value of this type of learning exercise. Second, classroom instruction that was, in the past, interrupted by a long winter break always needed to be reinforced during the first week of January. Given the challenges of remote learning, the duration of this reinforcement would be longer in January, thereby creating inefficiencies with the larger scope of instructional objectives for the year.

I am sure that there are specific questions that many of you have regarding exactly what to expect when your son is engaged in this project-based learning while at home. Many of these questions may be answered in the Wintersession webinar, held this week on Zoom. Additionally, I would like to provide you with some information that will convey why the School finds great value in what will transpire during this period of remote instruction.

Both the Winter Projects and the Global Collaborative Challenge require students to strengthen the skill of synthesizing information from different disciplines and sources. This is an essential component of critical thinking and creativity. There is research involved in both exercises – another important component of critical thinking. These exercises also have significant communication and collaboration requirements, 21st century skills that have been identified as being essential for students today.

Both the Winter Projects and the Global Collaborative Challenge have been redesigned for this year to accommodate 50-60 hours of student engagement spread out over these 2.5 weeks. A schedule has been shared with the faculty that provides more specific guidance on the use of this time. You can view the schedules for the Winter Projects and Global Collaborative Challenges on the Wintersession Resources page in the Parent Portal. In this link, you will also find the essential questions any project is designed to answer and the general rubrics for the key learning objectives underlying these projects.

Please note that I share these resources with you, not with the intention that you are expected to teach this material. Rather, I share this material so that you can have a better understanding of the overall learning outcomes and schedule that your sons' teachers will provide during this Wintersession.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees of Trinity-Pawling School, I would like to extend to you and your family the very best for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

In Community,