My name is Sarah Skinner, and my daughter recently completed her first-grade year at Annunciation Day School (ADS). The 2020-2021 academic year was our first at ADS and we knew very early on that we had made the absolute best decision we could have made for our child and our family.
Going into the summer of 2020, we knew we had to determine and find the type of learning environment that we wanted for our child during the upcoming school year. We knew that in-person learning was going to be best for her, but like most people, we were worried about the Coronavirus hitting home. When we visited ADS for our interview and tour it was very apparent, even then, how dedicated the school and administration was going to be in providing the safest environment they could for their kids, faculty, and staff. The extensive planning and level of thought that went into creating the school’s COVID-19 safety protocols and devising a plan to stick to them, on top of all the regular planning for academics, activities, etc. was truly amazing. ADS was able to keep all regular academics and extra courses intact and still provide a socially distanced learning environment where grade groups were kept in cohorts at play, in carpool line, and during class changes in the hallway, etc. --for the whole year. I believe I can say with great confidence that we would not have found this level of safety, combined with the level of commitment to continuing with their regular academic schedule, in another school. And that dedication and commitment to COVID-19 safety continued through to the very last day of the academic year. Each day I dropped my daughter off, my mind was at ease and for this I am beyond grateful!
There are many other reasons why we love ADS - too many to list here! We love the community that ADS offers to their students and parents, and the welcome that the school extends to new families is unmatched. There are so many opportunities for students and parents to get involved with what is going on at the school. Even in a pandemic year when parents were not able to come into the school regularly, the attention given to providing ways for parents to engage with what their children were doing during the day was impressive. I cannot wait to see the activities, energy, and opportunities for engagement that the school offers in a non-pandemic year, and I am very excited to experience the ADS community in-person more frequently!
We also are greatly appreciative of the high level of communication that school administration, teachers and staff provide to parents. I am never left guessing about important dates or deadlines. Communications throughout the year about COVID safety protocols and expectations were always clear and complete. And I also love the almost daily (even on weekends!) Facebook posts and live streams. Not only are we able to see our own child and her classmates grow and progress through the year, but we got a good idea of what awesome things are in store for her as she moves up to each grade level.
ADS provides an extremely well-rounded curriculum. My child’s teacher adapted a teaching strategy for her based on her specific needs for improvement and strengths, then gave us regular updates on her progress. Her teacher provided an inclusive learning environment in which my child did not feel left out if there was a subject she was not as strong in. Her teacher always encouraged her to express her passions and interests. My child’s exposure to the Greek language is helping her to develop an awareness of other cultures and other languages around the world; in short, she is expanding her bubble. And she is thriving with the attention she is receiving in the small classes.
ADS really is a special place – “…Behold how good!...” (Psalm 133) We are very excited for 2nd grade and are looking forward to many more years to come at ADS.