@Golfgr8 Yes. It appears to be a hybrid teaching model with a commitment to synchronized learning as much as possible. I’m still processing the information myself. Even though I’ve been “watching” you and others from the sidelines on this thread I don’t think I was mentally prepared to face “The Plan” personally. I liked playing the ostrich
My initial read is the Andover plan is terrible and an utter disappointment. Worst plan I have looked at.
Am I correct in inferring from the Andover plan that they haven’t set a date for sophomores and juniors to return? I would NOT be happy if Thacher left us hanging that way (they haven’t, all classes have a return date).
@CMKDad I have a friend who’s kid goes there and they are not happy at all. My kid would be crushed if it was her having to “wait and see”.
Yes, that is a correct assessment of the Andover plan. Zero expectations/plan conveyed for 10th and 11th graders. My best guess at the moment is they plan to not have them on campus at all this school year. But they don’t literally spell that out and leave it completely unstated.
Reeks of weak leadership at all levels. Andover just defaulted to doing a hacked/bad version of the weak Ivy plans. An overthought plan with too many cooks in the kitchen.
@janehoya Correct.
Wow! I feel so sorry for the Andover sophomores and juniors and their families. I cannot imagine as a parent having to advise/emotionally support my child through such a situation. Our son who is generally an easygoing child who is content at home is eager to go back to school, and while he hasn’t said so, I suspect he is counting down the days to September 12th. He would be absolutely crushed if he were in a holding pattern. The Andover plan sounds weak and, as someone said upthread.
We’re classed as international students but Americans. Daughter wouldn’t have it any other way she’s determined to go to school. This means, we have a full 14 days isolated quarantine. I’ve booked an Airbnb on a farm. As we are a flying from a country with a low Covid count, or mere 4-5 new community cases a year, we are extremely worried about transmission upon landed at the airport, rental car counter etc. We will need to do two rounds of Covid testing after we land. First one within a day or two of landing, and the last round within 4 days of arriving at school. We have a lot to plan as we can only get mail-order packages delivered within the two week window to the farm. As much as my DD wants to go shopping, I"m forcing her to stay relatively isolated at the farm. We will only go out to do curbside grocery pick ups. It’s a huge decision for us as the school has a tough stance should she contract Covid, I would have to pick her up within 48 hours. I live 26 hours by flight away. Plus each time she goes back to school, school requires us to have a 14 day quarantine. So the added expense of 15 nights in a hotel/inn/Airbnb 2x a year at a minimum, plus she has to accompanied, so extra flights for me. This is a huge decision for us. School has no idea how many more hoops we have to jump through for those of us with no home in the US.
@thegadgetmom, your child is lucky to have you as a parent. Good luck! I will be thinking of you in September.
Omg…is there An edit button I cannot find? Whose not who’s…stupid autocorrect.
@thegadgetmom I can’t imagine the planning and expense. We would do the same for our kid but I would not be thrilled and most likely complain the whole time. ?
Out LPS had a block system, and that was one of the reasons we chose BS. I didn’t like the idea of having a full year between 2 terms of FL or math in particular.
BUT plenty of kids liked it, found it easier to stay organized, etc. And there are a couple of colleges that operate this way, so for some, it’s preferable.
With that said, I don’t think anyone is getting to optimize this term. If your school is delivering a quality program, consider yourself blessed. It’s lousy but better than what many publics are doing.
I had a very different take in the Andover plan. I am surely biased since I’m a stakeholder as a new Andover parent, but I liked the Andover plan perhaps the best of all the plans I’ve read, with one major caveat. (But this, again, includes my bias and the fact that it’s the one plan I’ve been most eager to receive. Also I like detail.)
What I liked:
It felt deeply thought-out, and custom-made for Andover’s student body, and was comprehensive. Just an example of something I liked: truly robust quarantine on campus that includes even food delivery for the dorms for 2 weeks upon arrival.
I liked that there is innovation and customization. For example, they created a whole new class schedule of 9 periods that had classes at unusual times, and coupled that with a policy to protect international kids from classes at crazy hours.
I liked that they shared guiding principles in many areas — the hours expected of students, grading, the workload, etc etc.
I do have some questions about hybrid classes — I’m assuming they have invested in the technology to have the white boards be shareable on screen, and am hoping the technology is there to include the remote students visually (a big screen?) — we’ve all been in a conference call where one or two members are phoning in and that vibe should be avoided. The technology exists to bring remote students in better than the average zoom so I’m trusting they’ve made that investment. Wearing masks in a hybrid model is a challenge that I’m concerned about for remote students — extra hard to understand masked talkers over screens.
The big caveat for me — the place where I think they have actually made an error — not giving a date for 10th and 11th graders. I understand that it may change but not having a target date — even if it’s considered tentative — feels really hopeless and awful. This is not a small thing. But for me honestly it’s the only thing that keeps Andover’s plan from being, in my very humble opinion, truly innovative and world-class. While there are elements that we may not agree with (true anytime you are leading thousands of people), such a comprehensive plan that shows us not just the iceberg above water but the mountain below sea level speaks to very strong leadership. It surprised me to hear that other folks felt like it showed weak leadership. I’m glad to have heard that perspective in order to pressure-test my own. So I reread this morning, and I think I’ve come to the conclusion that the way Andover leads is a style that I respond well to — values-driven from the big idea down to the details (and yes there were a lot of details — not the casual 10-minute read that one might peruse just for fun if they aren’t personally affected, as I did for every other school — so I do think a better exec summary might have been included but that’s a writer’s quibble not a leadership complaint).
Anyway — just my thoughts. I know others may not agree and I’m delighted to hear others’ perspectives, as always.
One of the issues schools are dealing with in planning concerns the coming-going of day students. Some schools have more day students than other schools. We know day students at several NE schools from sports who are planning on continuing practices with their club/travel teams and/or planning on participating in club/travel events. They will be leaving/arriving on campus after having travelled. How are schools addressing this?
@Calliemomofgirls , I would have a very similar view on the Andover plan if they were welcoming all boarding students back on campus that are comfortable attending in-person. However, that is not the case and it is a HUGE thing. It basically feels like they have abandoned 50% of their boarding students (all 10th and 11th graders) and left them hanging in the wind.
While no team competition will happen, they describe how teams will practice and have an athletic program. Well, for 10th/11th graders, let’s see … soccer team practice via zoom sounds awesome.
This plan might read great for half the student body, but it isn’t even relevant for the other half that seems to have been abandoned. And the Andover remote learning program in the Spring was terrible (in terms of being worse than other peer schools).
It’s an excellent question @Golfgr8. I think that I’m the case of Andover (as I understand it — I might well be wrong), it seems as though day students are going to be quarantining and living under similar “rules” or “guidelines” as the boarding students but admittedly somewhat on the honor system. Everyone, including day students, has the option of being remote but if you decide to be on campus, you need to follow protocol. I’m going to guess that if someone wants to do club sports they would be required to be a remote student at Andover. Again I realize that there is a limit to the oversight a day student would have but I’d bet it would take such a level of dishonesty to disregard the protocol and rules that I’d bet parents would be up front about club sport activity. (Exposure from other sources — parents work, neighbors, etc is a while other area that is far less black and white and probably much harder to manage.)
@thegadgetmom First, good news the area around PA has a very low number of cases. I can send you a link. And while cases were very high in MA, it is currently well under control. So while you might worry about Covid in flight, you probanly should not worry about it here in MA.
@Golfgr8 Many schools with day students are placing students in various groups. A dorm is a group, day students can be another group, etc. Groups can share a particular space. Students are all expected to quarantine and have a test before arrival and after ( follow ups). All of the day students we know plan to continue with their club sports and activities. I think many club sports will continue through the Fall. Seems unlikely many/any school sports will be done in the Fall. There are contingency plans at three schools where we have close friends. Local parents based in MA have been asked if they could help in an emergency/ heavy Covid situation with housing jn case kids cannot make it home( the $&@#% hits the fan plan). Some friends, who are doctors have also been asked for input on the plans.
Same is true for Lville. The entire community (boarding students, day students, faculty members etc) is expected to take necessary precautions to limit their exposure on and off campus. And while it is an honor system, and certainly some students/families will be tempted to do their own thing, everyone knows the result of risky behavior can possibly shut the school down. I’d hope everyone will take this seriously, if nothing else, to avoid being “that” kid.
@Happytimes2001
Thanks for the info. It is always nice to read about what is happening locally.
As a mom in the medical profession with a winter sport athlete 11th grade boarder, the uncertainty is both understandable and completely uncomfortable. I’m a planner. Thank goodness my kiddo remains unfazed and is taking it all in stride.
Based on my experience with the school over the past two years (which includes town gas explosions and EEE) I trust PA.
@familyrock I think that’s great for other families to hear.
Kids are resilient. Most parents are also. I think most BS are doing their best to come up with manageable plans. I’m a planner too, though I’ve slipped into a whatever happens, we’ll make it work mentality.
I’m not sure Hotchkiss would allow kids off campus to participate in club sports.
I do know that they just sent an email saying that kids should not take the August or September SAT because it would interfere with the 14 day quarantine everyone is doing before arriving back on campus, and then with the bubble they are attempting. They say that they will offer a just-Hotchkiss-students SAT sitting in September, but that it is not through the college board. No idea how that will work, but I’m sure it will be fine.