~Sunita & Bonny, Grades 7 and 11 Parents
"How the world has changed in just a span of few months?! Just four months ago, we were enjoying the holidays, and two months prior to that we were enjoying Thanksgiving with family and friends. I am sure we have all learned a huge lesson that life and our world cannot be taken for granted. That we should appreciate our world, families, friends, community, school, work, travel, dinners and lunches in restaurants, Starbucks, sports, shopping, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic was a great surprise to us all, I am sure no one expected the world to be affected!
The decision taken by Head of School Kolia O’Connor, at the start of spring break, regarding Virtual School was great and on point. Spring break was not at all a break, but instead, there were many questions regarding health, school, and work. It was during this break that Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania directed schools to be closed. As parents, Sunita and I would often discuss with our sons how things would be when they returned to school. We had questions as to how it would all work out, especially for our son who is a junior with upcoming college visits, SATs, subject tests, the college admissions process, etc.
The upcoming virtual process made Sunita and I anxious initially, but reading all the clear and timely communication from the Academy, helped ease our anxiety. We realized that the Academy was adapting to the situation well – that the communication, planning, and design of the virtual process would work well, and it is working well. We cannot imagine the planning and effort involved to accomplish this difficult task in a short period in a changing world. Kudos to all the Academy staff and leadership of Mr. O’Connor and Heads of Middle and Senior School. We all know that kids are resilient, we saw the resiliency in our sons as they changed and adapted to the new process. We believe that they adapted and performed well, they slept better, and were always ready for the Virtual School day.
All of us, sincerely thank and appreciate all the Academy staff on their creativity, adaptability, and commitment to keep education moving forward, and for making the transition to Virtual School seamless and amazing. Of course, the boys miss interacting with their teachers and friends in person, but Zoom helped bridge that gap. My wife and I are happy with Virtual School and appreciate all the teachers for making it a wonderful, lifelong memory and experience for ours and all SA students!"
The upcoming virtual process made Sunita and I anxious initially, but reading all the clear and timely communication from the Academy, helped ease our anxiety. We realized that the Academy was adapting to the situation well – that the communication, planning, and design of the virtual process would work well, and it is working well. We cannot imagine the planning and effort involved to accomplish this difficult task in a short period in a changing world. Kudos to all the Academy staff and leadership of Mr. O’Connor and Heads of Middle and Senior School. We all know that kids are resilient, we saw the resiliency in our sons as they changed and adapted to the new process. We believe that they adapted and performed well, they slept better, and were always ready for the Virtual School day.
All of us, sincerely thank and appreciate all the Academy staff on their creativity, adaptability, and commitment to keep education moving forward, and for making the transition to Virtual School seamless and amazing. Of course, the boys miss interacting with their teachers and friends in person, but Zoom helped bridge that gap. My wife and I are happy with Virtual School and appreciate all the teachers for making it a wonderful, lifelong memory and experience for ours and all SA students!"
