By Cate Pitterle (’20)

 

Uncertainty still pervades, with a variety of options available.                            .

 

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect Cary Academy, slowing the administration’s decision-making processes and making planning events stressful, administrators are working within the unknown to gather data and prepare for an altogether uncertain future.

 

The release of a new website, CA: United, dedicated to planning the 2020-2021 academic year, on March 18 displayed some options for learning, but cleared little of the smoke when it comes to definite answers.

 

However, Dr. Ehrhardt is optimistic that next school year will move forward with in-person classes. “However, things will look a bit different!” he said. The school is currently exploring multiple hybrid modes of learning, including restrictions on large gatherings such as lunch and presentations, or, alternatively, a 50/50 split with only half of students on campus at any given time.

 

With the 2019-2020 year rapidly coming to a close, events for June and August are scheduled to move forward. On June 1 and 2, seniors will drop off tablets and parking tags; the rest of the upper school will follow on June 2 and 3 to clean out lockers, drop off tags, and return sports uniforms.

 

On June 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., a graduation parade is planned for seniors. Head of Upper School Robin Follet declined to describe the parade in detail, saying that he wanted it to be a “surprise” for seniors.

 

And on August 1, an in-person graduation ceremony is planned for the graduating class of 2020. No details have yet been released about the event.

 

“Now that we’ve selected dates for events, things are moving quickly to put together special virtual activities,” said Dr. Ehrhardt.

 

Cary Academy is also working to retain its style of learning, made more difficult by online classes. Mr. Follet said that the main goal for the 2020-2021 school year is “to provide the signature CA education for our students, one that allows students to own their learning, no matter what the day looks like.”

 

Despite the challenges, Mr. Follet sees Cary Academy’s use of technology as a strength. “Luckily, our faculty have experience working in virtual environments, and our students have comfort with the systems as well,” he said. “So while it’s stressful working through the nuances of what needs to happen when, we know that education is continuing.”

 

More than two months have passed since Cary Academy officially moved to online learning, but the unknown still makes the future murky. While it’s still too early to know how next year will look, emphasized Dr. Ehrhardt, “our collective can-do spirit is uplifting.”

 

“We are looking at a variety of ways we can keep learning moving forward and keep everybody healthy and safe.”