April 15, 2021

1. Wednesdays on Campus: The Logistics
2. Wednesdays on Campus: The Program
3. Vaccines Update
4. News about the Mastery Team
5. Shoes to be Filled
6. We're Getting Noticed
7. Honoring Arab-American History Month
8. Reminder for the Class of '23
9. News from around Hawken
10. Highlight of the Week

Wednesdays on Campus: The Logistics

We look forward to having students back on campus all five days next week! In our new Wednesday schedule for these last weeks of the semester, classes will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at our usual 2:30 p.m.. Campus will be open beginning at 8:00 a.m. despite the late start.

Between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., students will visit the nurse in her office on the second floor of Ac 3 for a temperature check. Especially now that TeamBuildr is no longer a requirement, it is critical that students take this step before entering other buildings on campus. After a temperature check, students should settle on the first floor of Ac 1 until it is time to disperse and start the day.  

Wednesdays on Campus: the Logistics

On Wednesday, we are launching the newest element of our program: Studio.

This space is designed to be a self-directed block of time where students can take on a new level of agency in their work. Students will be able to choose how they will spend their time between their Macro teamwork, their Micro individual work, and their Self-Directed Learning project.

Your young person will have to be deliberate about what they’re going to accomplish and in which space they will work best. Faculty will circulate the studio space, meeting with students individually and in small groups to provide guidance and instruction.

What’s so exciting about Studio is that students will have the autonomy to get what they need most, and that’s central to our mission. You should see your young person working on their plans over the next few days.

Vaccine Update

We have another opportunity for students to receive the Pfizer vaccine at Case Western Reserve University’s vaccine administration site at the Veale Center on Sunday, April 18, 2021 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Students can sign up for the vaccine here. This is for the first dose of Pfizer (they want to click on April 18). Free parking is available at the Veale Center Garage. You can find directions to both here. Students will receive the second dose also at the Veale Center.

For those under 18, they will need to bring a parent or a signed authorization form. You can find the form here.

News about the Mastery Team

Rasa Drane, our brilliant and creative Director of Admission, will expand her audience to become the Mastery School’s Director of Admission & Community Partnerships. We can’t wait to see how she partners with community members of all kinds to further our campus initiatives.
 

You may notice a new tone to our Thursday notes in the coming months… we are sharing a big congratulations to Terry Dubow, our Marketing and Communications lead and Director of Special Projects, who has been appointed the Director of Communications and Storytelling at Marin Montessori School in California. Since Terry often opens our meetings lamenting the gray Cleveland weather, we know the sunny change of scenery will suit him. Thank you, Terry, for your creativity and commitment in building the Mastery School’s voice over the past few years. We’ll miss you!
 

As we head into the next school year, other members of our team are taking on new roles as well -- these much closer to home. Mindy Roth, our operations and communications guru, will formalize her roles in these realms as our Operations & Communications Lead. While she will no longer be the first point of contact for your day-to-day questions, she will look forward to serving campus and the team to make sure everything runs smoothly and that you all know about it. 

Shoes to be Filled

 

...which leads us to the new role we’ve just posted: Administrative Associate. We will soon open an Admission team member role too. We’re looking for creative, collaborative, welcoming adults who love to work with young people and keep teams organized. Know someone who’d be great? Please pass this along to them.

We're Getting Noticed

 

It didn't take long for reporters to want to learn more about the Mastery School. In the next week, we'll host several writers who are deeply interested in our approach to education and to the lived experiences of students, families, and faculty,
 

Jennifer Wallace, a reporter from The New York Times and other national outlets, will be visiting our campus next week. She is writing a book for Penguin Random House on modern childhood and achievement pressure.

And then in early May, Thomas Toch and Alina Tugend will visit in preparation for an article that will appear this summer in The Washington Post's Sunday magazine.

If you have any concerns or questions, just send us a note!

Honoring Arab-American Heritage Month

Ramadan Kareem to members of our community who practice Islam!

As part of our effort to honor Arab American Heritage Month, students are planning a presentation this Monday celebrate the contributions of Arab Americans, and share their stories