Like every school and district in the country, the Hill team spent the late spring and summer of 2020 developing our plan for the upcoming school year amidst ever-changing guidance and a range of perspectives and preferences. We spent countless hours reviewing resources; seeking feedback from families, faculty, and staff; engaging with peer independent schools and district/charter administrators; consulting medical and legal experts; and meeting internally.
Based on our comprehensive analysis of the situation and professional understanding of our learners, Hill School will operate as Hill Virtual School for all students in 2020-21.
We evaluated our options along the following dimensions:
- Physical Health & Safety – A virtual model most clearly prioritizes physical health and safety by reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure at Hill for all.
- Educational Delivery & Learning Experience – On campus social distancing would not be supportive of the close teacher and student interactions core to the Hill methodology. Our virtual model allows us to better approximate that experience while providing consistent and predictable instruction – which is essential for our student population. It allows our faculty and staff to focus on delivering the highest quality education without the distraction and disruption of extensive health and wellness protocols.
- Social & Emotional Health – Operating virtually removes the considerable and unpredictable stresses of on-campus learning during a pandemic. Our virtual model will include intentional opportunities for relationship building with teachers, social engagement with peers, counseling support, and structured activities to support social and emotional health.
- Financial & Operational Impact – Fully committing to a virtual model allows Hill to invest scarce time and resources in supporting an enhanced virtual learning experience for students rather than costly protocols, equipment, and facilities modifications that would still leave Hill stretched thin and with limited capacity to serve all students on campus.
Hill Virtual School will be structured, supported, and individualized, offering the high-quality direct instruction Hill is known for, backed by over 40 years of experience.
With gratitude and hope for the future,
Beth Anderson, Executive Director
Bryan Brander, Head of School
Lisa Guckian, Board of Trustees Co-Chair
Stacy Parker-Fisher, Board of Trustees Co-Chair