Dalton News

Checking In at the End of Our First Week Back – Message from Jim Best 4/3/20

Dear Dalton Families,
 
I feel as if every letter I write needs to start with a silent shaking of the head—just a way to acknowledge the vastness, the strangeness, the intensity of what's happening right now. There are times when you honestly don't know what to say.
But I do want to tell you that I'm thinking of you. I hope you're able to care for yourself and your family. And I want all of us—everyone in the Dalton community—to feel connected somehow.
 
I also want to share a few things at the end of our first week of Digital Dalton.
 
Here's the big takeaway: It turns out that moving a relationship-driven, intellectually ambitious, highly collaborative academic experience online during a global pandemic is not easy.
 
In fact, it's quite hard. Everyone—teachers, parents, students—is trying to balance a newly complex home life with a newly complex learning platform. Many teachers and parents now have two full-time jobs, both of which take place in the same small physical space. Many of us now have friends or relatives or neighbors who are suffering from the virus, or who are making huge sacrifices to serve others. And we're all carrying the immense existential weight of living through an unprecedented social crisis.
 
And I know that the recent news for our High School athletes—the official cancellation of our spring athletics season—is heartbreaking. Our coaches will be in touch with players to talk about training and conditioning strategies going forward.
 
And yet we're pretty resourceful around here. On Tuesday we had our first digital High School assembly, with 438 attendees. (It was an excellent panel discussion on COVID-19. Worth a watch!) And we've been trying—really trying!—to bring students and teachers together in smaller groups, Houses and classes and Labs, an experience that's as meaningful and important as completing any assignment. Everyone is hungry for community, for connection. That's where learning begins, after all.
 
While in-person community events are off the table for now, we're exploring ways to hold events and connect and engage with each other virtually. We see this as an opportunity to reimagine our gatherings in a way that feels right for our community. Stay tuned!

Three important procedural notes:

First, your Division Directors have prepared an update for you, including information that will help you to frame the coming week.
Second, below my signature line, you'll find a few links that are worth bookmarking.
 
And third, please know that we'll be asking for your input on Digital Dalton. Next Tuesday, we'll ask you to complete a survey on your family's experience with Digital Dalton to date. We look forward to your feedback—and to making appropriate adjustments to our plans and program.
 
Be kind. Be gentle—with yourself and with others. Go forth with compassion.
 
Sending courage and good wishes—
 
Jim
Back
(Grades K-3) 53 East 91st Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5463
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: fpadmissions@dalton.org

(Gr. 4 Dalton East & PE Center) 200 East 87th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org

(Grade 5-12) 108 East 89th Street
New York, NY 10128
General: (212) 423-5200 | Admissions: (212) 423-5262
General: info@dalton.org | Admissions: admissionsmshs@dalton.org