Friday Thoughts 2 - Where is the school?

Last week I said that, to me, school is where the people are and, as I write, we are waiting for our re-opening inspection to invite Y11 and Y13 back on campus. We are still one school despite the fact that circumstances have dictated that some of us are quite literally across the world from each other. Now, more than ever, we need to make conscious decisions to maintain our connections with each other as a school community. We continue to find ourselves in a situation beyond any of our control. I was reading a blog written by a fellow teacher and school leader and it really resounded with me. She began by saying “I dislike not being able to ‘fix’. When things are wrong – let me help make it better, I like challenges to solve. At work, while I am comfortable being uncomfortable and not having all the answers, I like to have a number of different plans in mind.” As I have previously confessed that I am a recovering perfectionist and, over the course of my career, I have become more ‘comfortable being uncomfortable’ and have continued to embrace challenge. However, this is a whole other level of uncomfortable and there is a whole new level of challenges to solve for all of us.

This HBR article, if you can cut through some of the potentially patronising ideas and language, is an interesting read and gives an important message https://hbrascend.org/topics/what-your-coworkers-need-right-now-is-compassion/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr.

For those of you who might prefer a little poetry instead, there is this instead: https://www.aaanativearts.com/walk-mile-in-his-moccasins.

On a different note, and returning closer to ‘home’, you will know that our very own Mrs Walker is raising money for the Little Princess Trust (of course you all now because you all studiously read the communications emails which come through). They are a UK-based charity who provide wigs for children who have lost their hair as well as funding cancer research. It’s another stark reminder that families continue to find themselves in terrible situations regardless of the Covid-19 situation.

For those of you who may have inadvertently missed it, here is the link to the full article: https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/en/our-schools/shanghai/puxi/article/2020/4/20/mrs-walker-and-the-little-princess-trust. You will have to read it to find out how she is raising the money!

Although I have some answers to some questions, I still don’t have them all. So, to give you some clarity here are the answers I do have:

Years 5 & 6 are likely to come back to campus first.

At this stage, we do not know the specific restrictions and the exact plans for them. We know that lunchtimes will be different, with specific requirements regarding the dining facilities. It is most likely that Y5&6 students will eat back in the primary dining hall. For example, at the time of writing, SLETO will only be able to serve cooked food and sandwiches will not be available.

Students in school will be grouped into classes according to the staff we have on site and will follow as much of a ‘normal’ timetable as possible. Any more than this we do not know, and that includes classroom set-up. Obviously, students outside of Shanghai will continue some form of NAVSE, however we still do not know what this will look like.

Students in PN – Y4 will continue with the current NAVSE at this time and we do not have any opening dates for them yet.

We do not, as yet, know anything more about the borders opening again.