Welcome to 2020–21, from Our CAO
Dear Creative Minds Families:
Welcome to the 2020–21 school year! We are so excited to embark on this journey with you.
Starting the year on a remote schedule challenged my team and me to think creatively and to adopt new approaches to instruction and learning. What has not changed this year is our commitment to a high-quality education program and the practices that make Creative Minds a special place for students.
Our Program
In our remote-learning program, we are prioritizing engaging and meaningful lessons, social-emotional learning, small-group instruction, and a continuing focus on the development of the individual student.
I have witnessed each of these during my virtual visits to classes these first three weeks of school: Teachers collaborating to lead fun morning meetings each day. Teachers providing space for students to talk about how they are feeling about the start of the school year. Students in breakout rooms analyzing a picture from a text and making inferences on the basis of what they see. Teachers meeting with students during office hours to offer support on assignments.
I’ve also seen teachers and students exemplifying our personal goals, including communication, collaboration, adaptability, respect, and resilience.
Equity
This school year, you will notice an intentional focus on equity. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the forefront the inequalities that exist across the country; at Creative Minds we are determined to see all our students succeed.
The support we’re offering is fundamental to learning and helps address gaps in access to resources. Our meal-delivery program ensures that no Creative Minds student goes without breakfast and lunch, even while our building is closed for remote learning. A 1:1 device program is providing each student with a laptop or tablet, and WiFi hotspots mean that all students can access the internet for online classes. The backpacks that we distributed in August came with essential books and supplies that have helped students be ready for this new school year. These initiatives are vital to student success because remote learning works only when all students have the resources, and support, to learn remotely.
Literacy
Because research shows that the best predictor of future education achievement and life success is reading ability, we are focusing especially on literacy in 2020–21, with the goal of developing engaged readers.
Access to books is critical to building foundational literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading. We’re offering the apps Epic and Sora, through which students have access to high-quality books and other reading materials. These apps will unlock a world of discovery, build reading fluency and confidence, and give students choice as they personalize their daily reading.
Throughout the school year, my team and I will be analyzing data and thinking critically about our practices so that we can set up all students for success.
Professional Development
I continue to be proud of our teachers for their dedication to one another and their commitment to the students of Creative Minds. Each Wednesday, teachers are engaged in professional development to improve their practices and the program we are offering your children. I’ve been delighted to see teachers acquiring new, beneficial skills in a very short time!
Teacher PD sessions have included “Tips for Zoom,” “Equitable Grading,” and “Virtual Teaching Best Practices.” Teachers have been exploring grade-level planning and collaboration and have received training on apps for learning and instruction. Our sessions also offer space for teachers to reflect on and share best practices with the other members of their teams.
Right now, I don’t know when we will all return to the school building for in-person classes; our next check-in point is October. At that time we will look again at whether learning at school is safe for our community in 2020—before winter break—and share information with you.
I can promise that my team and I will remain committed to each student and that we will continue to provide high-quality academic programming no matter where, and how, instruction and learning take place.
If you have any questions about our academic program, please don’t hesitate to email me at nayamka.long@creativemindspcs.org. Thank you for being part of our community and for your ongoing support!
Best,
Nayamka Long
Chief Academic Officer