Dear Atrium Families,
Walking Atrium’s hallways and classrooms this week, I’ve missed the purposeful thrum of learning and play. The gleeful energy of children carried us through this uncommonly difficult year! The full historical impact of 2020 and 2021 can’t be known yet, but we are all made stronger by this brief and powerful era. Ultimately, we’ll remember not what we couldn’t do, but what we did do.
We safely opened our doors, uninterrupted, from September to June. We protected the health and safety of each member of the community, with a startlingly low number of Covid cases.
Parents came into the building for spring conferences. Each class enjoyed a year-end off-campus excursion, and Graduation was lively and poignant. How is it possible that facing such daunting conditions, Atrium thrived and grew? This community powerfully answered the call with extraordinary fundraising support to help meet unexpected Covid-related expenses. Our enrollment for 2021-22 already exceeds enrollment for the year just completed. When distrust pervaded our nation, trust at Atrium grew. Most importantly, Atrium teachers wholly reinvented teaching, while remaining utterly true to who we are, and to what our children needed this year. How is all this possible? Let me express once again my profound gratitude to each and every family for being so resilient, so adaptable, and so willing to make this year work.
With this momentum, Atrium’s planning for 2021-22 is well underway. At school we are reflecting on which “pandemic innovations” merit preservation, and we are assessing which “sidelined by the pandemic” elements of Atrium will be restored next year. For example, an outdoor morning start for our youngest children will continue, as will more structured traffic routines. We plan a newly revitalized instrumental music program, to counter the impact of an 18-month disruption. We observed during the pandemic that smaller specialist classes were successful, and are exploring schedule improvements to further strengthen arts education at Atrium. We are not simply returning to “how things were”; rather, we become a better school from our recent experiences.
This year Atrium School engaged The Glasgow Group to conduct a community-wide climate study, and we recently received their summary report. This thorough and inclusive process yielded very affirming feedback about equity and diversity at Atrium, but also conveyed some hard truths: not all community members feel the sense of belonging here that they deserve. We will continue to make concrete and measurable strides forward in the near term, to ensure that Atrium is intentionally and consistently equitable. We must become a more diverse and inclusive school if we are to truly raise up citizens and leaders who work for justice. Guided by Director of Equity and Curriculum Simone Miles-Esteves, this summer and fall we will further center tangible steps toward these goals. Simone will write to you in August, to frame Atrium’s work ahead.
For your planning purposes, I want to preview some key decisions regarding the year to come. While certain public health measures for schools are not yet clear and conditions may still change, we have every expectation that:
the full school week will be restored for all students Pre-K through 8th Grade, consisting of full-length on-campus days, Monday through Friday.
students will be able to mix across grades, allowing for the return of prized activities like Constellations and Middle School Advisory. Parents may enter the building more freely.
a revitalized, full After School Program including enrichment components will return, Monday through Friday until 5:30 p.m. Early drop off will also be available.
Truly, 2020-21 was a remarkable expression of excellence with joy. We are planning an exciting progression of welcoming events for the fall, and it is uncommonly sweet to anticipate the emotion and pleasure of this community coming together again, in person.
Warmly,
Marshall
