Dear Students:
We are looking forward to welcoming you back to Deerfield for in-person learning in January, and we are busy preparing the campus for your arrival. From the window of my office here in the Main School Building, I have a great view of some of the projects our maintenance and facilities teams have undertaken to prepare Deerfield for the Winter Term: the construction of the winter dining pavilion, preparation of the outdoor hockey rink, and the conversion of a number of buildings into dorms for our day students—including Hitchcock House, Ephraim Williams, and Williams House.
We learned a great deal over the course of the fall, and I will be writing again to you and your families soon to update you on our winter plans. The purpose of this note, however, is to seek your feedback and insight. Planning is well underway for the 2021 – 2022 Academic Year, including an evaluation of our academic program and schedule. Your input is crucial to this effort, and so we invite you to participate in a confidential survey administered by Independent School Management (ISM).
Please use this link to access the survey.
We will make decisions that are informed by your experiences, the best available research on learning, and broad consultation with educational leaders. We have set for ourselves three goals: an approach to schedule that supports your health and well-being, encourages a mindset of deep and lifelong learning, and strengthens the sense of community that has long defined Deerfield. To that end, we are also soliciting feedback from your families and from faculty, too.
My Senior Team and I will be provided with summary data and any recommendations that ISM may have based on your responses and those of your families and faculty, but please know that ISM guarantees the anonymity of those responses. I look forward to reporting back to you on this feedback in the weeks to come.
I continue to be deeply grateful for your positive energy and your support and care for all members of the community, and I thank you in advance for your thoughtful participation.
With my best wishes for a successful D-Term and Happy Holidays,
Dr. Austin