Tag Archive for: #maharishischoolcovidresponse

How to Prepare for School: Fall 2021 Edition

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What should you expect?  And who decides?

The Maharishi School Leadership Team make the hard decisions that keep our school in a constant state of improvement. They provide a vision for our future and take the action necessary toRichard Beall execute that vision. When it comes to issues such as the covid pandemic, our Leadership Team gets its cues from a lot of different authorities:

  •        Iowa Governor Reynolds
  •        Iowa legislature
  •       Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  •       Public Health officials
  •       Maharishi International University
  •       Our Board of Directors

Sometimes that input is informational; other times the decisions are made for us, like when the Governor closed in-person schooling in March 2020 or disallowed mask mandates in May 2021.

 

leadership team covid masksWhere do we get information from?

Our Leadership Team is monitoring CDC sources daily for COVID-related developments as we consider our options for 2021-22. We strongly recommend reading the Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools as a guideline.

In this guide you will find that the CDC recommends:

  • In-person learning
  • Vaccination
  • Masks for vaccinated persons

PLEASE NOTE: We have not adopted these recommendations at this point. Everything is still under consideration.

 

What can we prepare for?

At present we can foresee three different types of scenarios for the fall:

 

Scenario One: COVID cases decline, vaccination rates climb, masks become unnecessary. We’re pretty much back to “normal.”covid masks kids in mask

 

Scenario Two: COVID variants prove threatening, some precautionary measures continue, like mask wearing and social distancing.

 

Scenario Three: An upsurge of COVID cases, perhaps due to a variant, requires stronger preventive precautions, ranging from online-only classes to mask wearing mandates.

 

In other words, stay tuned. A survey will be sent to you in early August to solicit your perspective on the situation.

In the meantime, we are open to your input and will respond to questions, to the best of our ability.

 

 

To read about our Coronavirus guidelines, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

School in the Time of a Pandemic

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Things are different this year…

sanitize hands students 2020 coronavirus pandemic

Students using hand sanitizer before each class.

It’s two weeks into the 2020 school year at Maharishi School and the students are just starting to settle into

their new way of learning in a pandemic. For some that means social distancing and wearing a mask inside the classroom with their peers, for others that means staying home and logging into Zoom on the computer.

We currently have 72% of our student population in person, who get their temperature taken each day, sanitize their hands before stepping into the classroom and wear masks while inside the building.

How do the kids feel?

indie in school learning kindergarten during pandemic

Indie Picard

I’ve gotten feedback from several parents and students about what they’re going through with this new hybrid learning. Emmy Auge is the mother of Indira Picard, a 5 year old who just started Kindergarten and is doing in-class learning.

 “Indie is doing better with her mask than I anticipated, she’s definitely understanding the safety precautions of wearing it. Her class size is so small that it seems less scary for her than if she was in a class of 20 or 30 kids. I’m happy with her being in school because I know she missed the stimulation and routine of school. Seeing her friends, even if it’s from a distance, is so beneficial for her happiness.”

Lily Fenton is 16 years old, in 11th grade and participating in both in-class and online learning, here she talks about these changes;

lily in school and online learning during pandemic

Lily Fenton

    “I’m doing well with in school learning, although it is weird having half of my class online. I like having a schedule and a place where I can have face-to-face connections. Before coming to school in-person, I thought that online school was my preference, however, I have found that I am more productive when I have the feeling of physically going somewhere. Additionally, during our first days of school, I thought that the masks and new protocols were hard to deal with because it was something I was not used to. Now, the masks and protocols have reached normalcy and have integrated well into my day to day life.”

 

What’s it like learning online?

Natalie Kahiu is 9 years old in 4th grade and her mother Mala Markowitz talks about how she’s currently doing with online learning;

      “Natalie wakes up enthusiastic and eager to learn remotely from the comfort and ease of home. She loves to go outside in her new

natalie online learningneighborhood during recess or writing to reflect on the world around her. She likes to draw and write about what she sees. So much to learn! She loves remote learning. Her next big adventure is global learning where she gets to travel in an RV and move around from state to state learning about different cultures, food and people. She wants to study anthropology in college and she wants to be an anthropologist when she grows up.”

Return to learning during a pandemic

At Maharishi School we believe that in-person schooling is the priority for the holistic health and development of our students. In-person education allows greater social-emotional experience with peers and teachers, more hands on learning, and more easily facilitated group projects.

We are still accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. Our Admissions Team is available to connect and we encourage you to reach out to us at admissions@maharishischool.org

To learn more about how Maharishi School has responded to the coronavirus pandemic, click here.

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Supporting Our Students Through Crisis

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Safety First

The coronavirus pandemic has changed many things about our daily lives as well as our supporting students through coronaviruschildren’s education. In these times of uncertainty, where is the best place for your children to continue their education?  Here are a few reasons you might want to choose Maharishi School:

  • #1 in Best Private High Schools in Iowa We’re the #1 private/boarding school in Iowa, and the health and safety of our students is OUR #1 priority. One parent has shared their review “My children attended Maharishi School from K-12 grade and it has been the best experience for them. My daughter having just completed her Masters degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture has her dream job in New Zealand. My son is finishing his degree in Software Engineering. Very proud of them and couldn’t have done it without Maharishi School.”
  • Fairfield’s small population makes it a safe town to live in (see our blog about the Top 10 Benefits of Living in a Small Town) for reasons such as having low crime rate, no traffic, and a strong sense of community.
  • Local businesses have stepped up to make their essential services safe for customers. In response, our community is showing immense support for the small businesses that are taking a hit because of the coronavirus. Click here to see what fairfield community member Hannah Layne Nichols has created to raise over $5,000 for local businesses.

Self Care: Stress management for a stressful time

Maharishi School Screenwriting project- online learning

Evelyn Chase Winer, Senior at Maharishi School

While everyone is staying safe at home, releasing built-up stress becomes even more crucial. Our students at Maharishi School have segments of meditation built into their online courses. I interviewed Maharishi School senior, Evelyn Chase Winer, about what her meditation means to her during the time of the coronavirus.

1) How is your meditation more important to you during times of high stress?
Evelyn: During more stressful times, I look forward to having time to sit down and relax. It definitely becomes more important and useful when I am stressed.
2) Have you noticed a change in your stress levels now that you are doing online learning?
Evelyn: I have become a lot less stressed. Being able to stay home all day, relax, not worry about travel, and be comfortable all day while still getting the same amount done is nice.
3) In general, how do you feel about your meditation practice?
Evelyn: I enjoy meditation, just closing my eyes when I’m constantly doing things lets me settle in and be fully aware of how my mind feels. When I don’t meditate for a long period of time, I notice that I can become anxious about simple things. Meditation is a great way for me to clear up my foggy mind and think more clearly.

Creative and Flexible Education

During this lockdown all students at Maharishi School are currently engaged in remote students doing projects online during coronavirus pandemiclearning. As this crises evolves we will continue to flex and respond to the needs of our students. We may be able to return to in class learning but, regardless, our focus will always be on the individual needs of the students. This is the advantage of being a small school where every child is known and every child is attended to.

What is our response to the coronavirus?

As a small school with a competent and compassionate staff, we can assure you that Maharishi School will reach across this digital divide to care for each student. We ask that you also share with us your thoughts, ideas, and concerns so we can collaborate for your child’s best interests and on-going educational experience. Our school updates parents on safety and what our school is doing to prevent an outbreak several times a week. Our administration is in constant contact with the local public health officials. Click here to read more about how the school is responding to the coronavirus.

fairfield iowa

To learn more about our academics or to contact a member of our admissions staff, click here.

To learn more about school events and student life, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.