Dear Rising Tide Charter Public School Community,
Through the current health crisis, we have needed to rely on the strength of our school community as our school structures, family schedules, and social interactions have been disrupted. Through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, our students, families, teachers, and staff members demonstrated tremendous flexibility, understanding, and support.
As we approach the 2020-2021 school year, we will need to keep supporting one another and remain flexible, as there are no easy solutions to operating schools, or being parents with children in schools, during a pandemic. Schools are inherently social spaces, where students can grow and learn through relationships with their teachers and their peers. While we will not be able to begin the upcoming school year in a standard manner, fully in-person without masks and physical distance restrictions, we will be able to creatively fulfill Rising Tide’s mission and key design elements through our structure of supportive relationships and our approach to teaching and learning. Rising Tide’s inquiry and skills-based approach fosters personal and academic growth in students; the approach encourages students to reflect, take responsibility, ask questions, and think critically. Whether students are learning at home or at school this year, Rising Tide will continue to foster the development of skills, the exploration of content knowledge, and the deepening of understanding with each student.
Since the Initial Fall School Reopening Guidance from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) was released on June 25, we have conducted a feasibility study of our building and campus and have been preparing to meet the health and safety requirements to enable students and staff members to occupy the school building at 59 Armstrong Road. We have planned for three models for reopening schools: in-person learning with new safety requirements, a hybrid of in-person and remote learning, and the continuation of remote learning.
Our collaborative planning teams have been guided by the following goals:
Michael O’Keefe
Head of School
- Prioritize safety, support, wellness, and understanding for the entire school community
- Implement Rising Tide’s Key Design Elements:
- Provide a strong academic program that fosters the development of skills
- Provide opportunities for students to connect to the Plymouth region
- Provide students with a strong school community
- Hold strong to Rising Tide’s identity through the challenges
