Last Friday, August 7, 2020 Mandela followed Omaha Public Schools and decided to begin the 2020-2021 school year remotely. The safety of the scholars and team members at Mandela was the driving force behind the decision. School was originally slated to begin August 13, 2020. However, in talking to the teachers and paraeducators, principal Genevive Core realized that it would be best to delay the start of school until August 20, 2020 to give everyone time to prepare.
The team spent the extra week in professional development, being thoroughly trained in the online platforms that Mandela would be using for instruction. Core States, “The Mandela team has worked incredibly hard to ensure they can continue to deliver the best possible education to our scholars, regardless of the method of delivery.” There is no question that the team at Mandela is dedicated to their scholars.
Even though Mandela will begin remotely, the team is working to create as much of a routine as possible. Scholars are being asked to be available during the normal school hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. They will not be online the entire day, but they will be engaged with various projects when they are not in front of a screen. They will also be in full uniform. Altogether, the hope is to help create a learning environment that closely resembles what would be happening if the scholars were attending school face to face.
Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.” These words resonate more powerfully than ever as everyone faces challenges in the world today. In reflecting on this quote, Core shared, “I fully believe that our scholars will change the world someday, and I am grateful that the team and myself can be a part of their journey.”