April 24, 2020 Shared Learning Letter from the Director

“Where is the book in which the teacher can read

about what teaching is?

The children themselves are this book.

We should not learn to teach out of any book

other than the one lying before us

and consisting of the children themselves.”

                     –Rudolf Steiner

April 24, 2020

Dear YRCS Families,

Welcome to the YRCS Shared Learning informational document! On behalf of the YRCS Faculty and Administration, we thank you for your patience over the past several weeks as we work toward our goal of continued education for our students during these ever-changing times. It is our striving to remain calm and steady as we provide information about our Shared Learning model designed to provide engaging ways to interact with our families, teachers, classmates, and community.

You, parents and guardians, are dealing with working from home, getting acquainted with all of the technical elements of Shared Learning, guiding your children with assignments, striving to keep a rhythmic schedule, striving to stay healthy, along with negotiating uncertainty about the future. Teachers were suddenly confronted with the need to learn new skills also – in a short amount of time – to adapt their lessons to a Shared Learning model. In addition, many of our teachers are parents. We are realizing that preparing a lesson under these circumstances requires time, feedback from students and their parents or guardians, and rich personal interaction In order to succeed. 

We wish to assure you that, through the end of the school year, the full school Faculty and Staff are engaged and practicing the same dedication and tenacity to offer your children an experience that is as rich as possible. As we reach the several week mark, we want to acknowledge the challenges and opportunities that may be  presented during this time. We appreciate and invite you to continue to share your feedback with compassion and acknowledgement that we are all doing the best we can. And, in return, we will offer our compassionate understanding that presents itself as you navigate the model presented to you by your teacher.  

A few concepts that we have agreed on are:

• Do what you can. Your teachers are willing to advise, guide and collaborate with each of you in the process of creating the right schedule for your family.  
• Creating a new rhythm takes time and patience; design a rhythm and schedule that works with your family’s home life.
• In kindergarten and the lower grades, a main emphasis at this time is to allow the rhythms of nature, the home, and loving connection with family and teachers to support learning.
• In the middle and upper grades, the goal is for students to work under as much self-direction as is age appropriate with families offering support from the school materials provided.
• Overall, a schedule will include about 1-3 hours of focused or sitting work with added activities of art, music, movement, walks, outdoor or indoor free time or play, and meals mixed into the schedule.
• Your child’s teacher is providing materials and instruction, and we are asking that you provide a rhythm and support for your child. Each family will have different thresholds for what they can do to supplement or support. We understand that each family is doing their best to complete the work. Our goal is to provide support and not contribute to a greater level of concern or stress.  

All of you are in our thoughts and in our daily work. We look forward with great eagerness to the time that we will all be together once more, in person, to celebrate the opportunity of being together on campus.   

Warmly,

Barbara Linares