On Mon., Sept. 14, the Weekday School re-opened in the newly-renovated Education Building. Bursting with excitement, students and teachers were able to begin the year in a space designed for 21st century learners. These renovations also have proven critical to the school’s ability to reopen safely, reflecting best practices in early childhood education.
The new Fishers Road entry, improved security, larger gathering spaces, and the covered playground porch are just a few highlights that have made an enormous impact on our programing and our ability to adapt to this unique school year.
Over the summer, school leadership developed a plan integrating recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Montgomery County Health Department. This plan also reflected ongoing conversations with other area preschools; strategies from childcare programs that remained open throughout the shutdown; insights from programs that had reopened successfully in Europe; and seminars hosted by infectious disease specialists. The basics of the plan are simple: regular health checks, wearing masks, keeping classes in separate pods with a limited number of students and teachers, intensified handwashing and cleaning protocols, and limiting shared resources. Despite the protocols, we know that every day will be a fun-filled experience for the children as they adapt to their “new normal.”
The leadership of BMPC as well as leaders of other area preschool programs recognize the importance of hands-on learning for preschoolers. Having an opportunity to engage with other children, explore the world around them through carefully planned lessons, and learn critical social skills can only be achieved through in-person instruction.
With a student-to-teacher ratio under 1:6, we are excited to welcome five classes of students as they begin their educational journey at the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church Weekday School this fall.
