This post is sponsored by Sheridan School.
Sheridan School has a new addition on its playground — a classroom.
After a long sabbatical due to Covid-19, students at the progressive, K-8, independent school have returned to on-campus learning four days per week. The new, covered classroom on the playground is just one of the elements the school has put in place to limit potential exposure to the coronavirus.
Sheridan credits its small size for its ability to return to in-person instruction this fall.
“We intentionally limit our enrollment to 225 students, which has made it easier for us to return our students to learning on campus while keeping everyone as healthy as possible,” Head of School Jessica Donovan said. “In addition, our co-teaching model in our Lower School features two teachers in every class for instruction in reading, writing, math, and social studies. This, combined with our advisory model in Middle School, gave us the staffing we needed to break our classes into small fixed cohorts each with their own classroom and set of teachers. This was a big factor in our return.”
Another big factor: the faculty.
“We are so fortunate to have such passionate, committed educators on our team,” said Donovan. “Teaching during a pandemic brings pressures no one ever imagined, and watching teachers rise to the challenge and grow right along with their students has been so inspiring to watch. I wake up every morning filled with gratitude — our teachers are the heart of our school.”
Other protocols in place to mitigate potential exposure to Covid-19 include HEPA air filtration and disinfection tools, reconfigured classrooms, additional use of outdoor space, and consistent use of masking, handwashing, and temperature-taking.
“A baseline test for Covid-19 of the entire community prior to the school’s reopening found no cases, and we hope to keep everyone as healthy through robust measures to prevent community transmission should someone be exposed to Covid-19 elsewhere,” Suzanne Badoux, Sheridan’s Director of Finance and Facilities, said.
Like everyone, the Sheridan team hopes things will be closer to normal by this time next year, and it is welcoming prospective families who are thinking ahead to the 2021-2022 school year.
While physical visits to the Sheridan campus aren’t possible yet, the school is offering a glimpse of all that it offers through a series of information sessions and webinars. You can, for example, learn what it really means for a school to be progressive, find out why it’s vital that curriculum be aligned with child development, hear why outdoor education is an essential part of the learning experience, and take part in a briefing on financial aid and making tuition affordable, to name just a few of the opportunities.
“We love to talk to families about education and what they are seeking for their child,” said Margie Gottfried, Sheridan’s Director of Admissions. Sheridan’s events can be found at sheridanschool.org/admissions.
Gottfried said having the children back on campus has been a joy.
“Is there any sound sweeter than children’s laughter?” she said. “If you have a moment on a beautiful day, we highly recommend walking by Sheridan’s campus at 36th and Alton Place, NW, to hear the joy for yourself. It’s good for the soul.”
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