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Light Drizzle Fog/Mist Despite Covid, Lawrence Woodmere Academy remains optimistic
One year after Lawrence Woodmere Academy transitioned to remote learning amid the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic, school officials are feeling optimistic about operations moving forward.
Since the school year began on Sept. 8, LWA has been conducting in-person learning five days a week. Head of School Brian O’Connell said that while it offers students remote learning, a large majority chose in-person learning.
“Our kids have been coming to school, and I’d say that our lower school has 99.9 percent in-person attendance,” O’Connell said. “The middle school has been at about 60 to 70 percent attendance. The upper school was at about 90 percent, but the trend of staying home during winter has picked up after the new year.”
O’Connell emphasized the importance for students in the lower school to learn in person. “I think that lower-school children must be in school,” he said. “It’s not just about education — it’s also big for socialization, learning how to cooperate and learning how to share and listen.”
With remote learning still an option, the feedback O’Connell has received from faculty members is that it can be tough to keep students involved virtually. “We’re doing our best to try to keep it as engaging as possible within this medium of Zoom sessions and Google classroom,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s even possible for schools with 30 students in a class to even come close to managing this. I think everyone in education today is hopeful that we’ll all go back to brick-and-mortar learning soon.”
According to O’Connell, the average class size at LWA, where the total enrollment is 185, is 12 students. “Our small class size has been a saving grace for us during the pandemic,” he said. “Our teachers are able to break out in one-on-one sessions with students, one-on-three sessions to assess and give feedback.”
According to LWA’s website, tuition for the 2020-21 school year is $10,950 for pre-K, $12,950 for kindergarten to fourth grade in the lower school, $17,950 for fifth to eighth grade in the middle school, and $27,950 for ninth to 12th grade in the upper school.
Director of Admissions Luke Davis said he thought the morale among students had remained strong throughout the school year despite the circumstances.
“I see the students in grades pre-K through four at the door every morning, and I always see smiles on their faces,” Davis said. “They always have an amazing project in their hands that they’re working on. It’s nice for me to see, from an admissions perspective, and I don’t see them fazed at all.”
He added that there had been a renewed interest in mental health and wellness among students. “This year has shown the need for students to be in person and in communication with each other,” Davis said. “That’s the current takeaway from this school year. We’re also thankful for the families who want to send their children here.”
LWA board President Vincent Gerbino expressed his optimism as the school continues to operate through the pandemic.
“I have been president of the board since 2017 and I have never been more optimistic about the future of LWA,” Gerbino wrote in an email. “We are here to stay and we welcome students who seek a diverse, safe and beautiful campus for learning.”
In another sign of a return to normalcy, the school is planning to hold its graduation ceremony in its performing arts center in June.
“Our senior class wants graduation to be held the traditional way in Hessel Hall,” O’Connell said. “We did an assessment of the space, and we are able to socially distance the students and families in Hessel Hall. [If] we have a spring Covid spike, we can revert to the drive-in graduation ceremony.” There are 31 students in this year’s graduating class, he added.
More than 30 new families have signed their children up for LWA next year, according to O’Connell, which, he said, makes him optimistic going forward.
“We’re trying to keep life as normal as possible in this abnormal time and give our parents and students what they’re investing in,” he said. “Parents made a conscious decision to invest in their children’s education because they realize they were trapped in another situation that wasn’t meeting their needs. That’s why it’s important to have schools like LWA.”
