Every day COVID-19 causes shifts in schedules as officials make decisions about the well-being of the community. Schools are closed until the end of May, and many schools have made the decision to close for the rest of the year. Many, including Mandela, remain hopeful for some summer learning.
As a year-round school, the summer months at Mandela, referred to as ‘Fifth Term’, are normally filled with morning tutoring sessions, afternoon enrichment activities, and Friday field trips. Uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 make it difficult to say how much of that is possible. Yet, the Mandela team knows how important it is to continue learning over the summer. Research shows that the summer is vital to a child’s growth in education, and whether they excel or slide often depends on socioeconomic factors. Ashley Austrew writes, “children from low-income families are… disproportionately affected by the summer slide” in “How to Prevent Your Kids from Losing What They Learned in School During Summer Vacation”. Mandela serves that low-income population, with most families at the school qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Year-round education is part of Mandela’s many efforts to reduce those achievement gaps.
Dr. Susan Toohey, head of school, will continue to comply with all recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, the Douglas County Health Department, and Governor Pete Ricketts. The health and well-being of the Mandela community is the top priority of all Mandela team members. Conversations right now circle around reintroducing scholars in alternating A and B days to reduce bodies in the school, with every scholar being screened before walking in the building. The hope, too, is to utilize outdoor spaces as much as possible to maintain social distancing measures for as long as they are necessary.
The Mandela community maintains hope that they will be together again, sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the Mandela team will continue to do everything they can to keep their scholars safe, healthy, and learning.