Family Weekend – Fall 2020

This week at Alzar School, students and staff are preparing campus for an event that feels familiar and yet quite novel: a virtual rendition of our famous Family Weekend. The transition towards a virtual Family Weekend for this semester has been driven by a number of explicit goals and has been facilitated by three brilliant student Leaders of the Week, Rabi, Jabes and Maya. The Leaders of the Week have guided their peers through task lists, as well as generated enthusiasm for students to virtually showcase their Alzar School experience to loving families back home. 

During any semester, Family Weekend is driven by the following goals:

• Showcase student leadership.
• Allow families to spend time with their student.
• Provide an opportunity for families to get to know our Fall 2020 cohort.
• Enable families to get to know Alzar School culture, including staff members and leadership approach.
• Showcase the power of an Alzar School experience.

  

• Provide an opportunity to meet student needs that have traditionally been fulfilled during Family Weekend (such as haircuts, formal meal, shopping).

Some changes that will help us to meet these goals in a digital setting this semester include virtual residential tours facilitated using Zoom and student tour-guides. We will broadcast our dinner circle, including announcements, gratitudes and a special quote. Students will have designated time periods where they have a break in formal activities, in order for them to spend virtual quality time with their families. We are hosting an optional social hour for parents and inviting families to participate digitally in the telling of the history of Alzar School from Co-founders, Sean and Kristin Bierle. Additionally, we will offer a virtual school store and some special family weekend photos and videos to share with families!

Students are diligently preparing academic presentations, with some fascinating titles, such as: “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, “Imaginative Ecosystems”, and “Parent Functions with Parents”. Students are deep cleaning yurts and improving their interior home decor (including lessons on how to change vacuum cleaner bags). Students are organizing their closets, preparing formal outfits and sending invitations to family members who might not otherwise be able to attend traditional in-person Family Weekend festivities. Not to mention, students are reflecting deeply in preparation for leading conferences with teachers, a true test for their accurate awareness, personal leadership and follow-through. 

We cannot wait to share reflections and anecdotes about our growth as a community thus far! Families, see you soon in the virtual realm.