Good morning and happy Saturday, Golden Knights!
It has been inspiring and humbling to observe and be a part of the preparation, development, building, and implementing of our school curriculum and programs these past several months. Over the past 3 weeks, it has been equally tremendous watching our faculty and staff train and prepare for the upcoming inaugural academic year at SNA Marianapolis.
Of course, this hard work and dedication has all been done virtually given the effects and safety measures of Covid-19. With the health and safety of students and community members as our top priority, the SNA Marianapolis school year will begin online.
The pandemic has also caused us to experience delays in certain processes, including the implementation and reception of books. At the guidance of Dong Nai provincial government, to ensure the strongest positioning of our online structures, that all necessary information is received and understood by families, that proper introduction to and guidance on our online meeting and learning management system (Blackbaud), and that our entire community is moving forward together as one, we will be postponing the start of the academic year to Monday, September 6.
On September 6, we will have an opening celebration, Academic & Parent Orientation, for students and parents. Programming will include meet and greets with teachers and administrators including our Head of School, academic activities and classroom time for students, introductions to extracurricular activities, and more. The first day of full classes will be Tuesday, September 7.
Over the next two weeks, we will begin this orientation by coordinating and scheduling meetings for students and families with teachers, hosting workshops and training sessions on our online systems and schedule, continuing to provide information on any calendar updates, academic courses, extracurricular activities, and more. On Friday, August 27 we will host a Parent Informational Workshop on our online systems and how best to support their children. More details will be shared early next week on attending. Though we will not commence the school year until September 7, we will surely begin to build the strong relationships and our community now!
I have been able to directly interact and experience the commitment that our faculty and staff have put forth. I wanted to also share how truly thankful and impressed I am with all of YOU. It is extremely difficult to start anew at a school, and certainly even more so in the face of a global pandemic. To see and hear of the strength and resolve our students and their families are exhibiting through all of this is awe-inspiring. Thank you for this resilience and grit, two habits and traits that will surely serve you well as SNA Marianapolis students and community members!
Our team is here to answer any questions you may have. We are eager and excited to move forward as one, and to engage with you in the coming days. Have wonderful weekends, go Knights!
Warm regards,
Joseph C. Hanrahan
Head of School
