Welcome Letter (Academic Year 2020-21)

Dear Students,

I am happy to welcome you to the beginning of a new academic year – and a special welcome to the new families who have joined Pathways. Of course, this welcome is taking a form we could not have imagined! We live in a time of volatility and uncertainty – what is referred to as the VUCA world - that has become a characteristic of the 21st century.

As we all struggle to make meaning of it, all our thoughts are centered around our children for whom outdoor activity, meeting friends and going to school have been postponed for longer than expected. For all the transformation of their lives and all the change in yours, I would like to emphasize five important areas for you to keep in mind and to project to your children.

First, that this will end. In their long lives ahead, this will be a small blip and they will go back to being in school, growing and learning.
In educational terms there are some interesting discoveries which research has shown. Most important is that moving online has not had a significant impact on actual learning. In fact, the focus of classrooms has moved away from content to the strengthening of concepts and big ideas which are what children need to engage with, in preparation for the world ahead.
The element of self-directed learning & asynchronous work has given students choice and independence – of the pace of learning, what they want to do when, how to ask for help when they get stuck. This is in fact excellent preparation for the way work will be shaped in the decades ahead once they have grown up.
While it may seem good to keep children away from school during this time, these years of learning are very precious and cannot be regained later. There are huge leaps in the development of the brain at age 5 & 6 and again in adolescence. Therefore, it is essential that each day, their brains are challenged and expanded with new learning. Moreover, children need regular routines and in the current situation this is provided by online school where they are able to interact with classmates and teachers.
While there is a problem with excessive screen time, we need to distinguish between effective screen time and loose time on screen. At the moment whether we like it or not, more screen time than usual is also the way in which children learn, they communicate with friends and teachers in a productive way. Properly planned screen time is teaching them, helping them think and analyse and solve problems - and that cannot be done away with. You may find it useful to listen in to this excellent discussion on screen time hosted by FICCI Arise:

https://www.facebook.com/FICCIArise/videos/1198585687167946/

Against this background, our teachers have been reading, planning and getting trained about the effective use of strategies for online learning and are now looking forward to welcoming students back into their classrooms. The learning programme will move slowly, focusing on the establishment of an emotionally supportive and caring learning environment.

What Parents Can DoG

It is important for you as parents to ensure that there is a regular routine, that your children are ready and dressed to create the right mental attitude for learning. Freshness of mind is important so please avoid letting them have late nights once school is on.
Ensure a quiet place to work for your child. It is important that this is away from a public area like a sitting room.
Please check to see that you have maximum bandwidth possible in your area. We expect all students to have their video cameras on throughout online lesson time.
In primary school, depending on the grade your child is in, you will get more specific details from the Form Tutor about the extent to which you need to assist your child’s learning
Once children are settled in you will get details about an interaction time which you will be able to have with the Form Tutor so that you can be introduced to the schedule and give your feedback. We intend to work in partnership with parents in this new format and will be reaching out for your views at regular intervals.

I look forward to working with you in the year ahead to provide our children with a safe and stimulating learning environment.

With warm regards,
Dr. Shalini Advani
School Director

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