Duke School Under the Oak Magazine, Fall 2020

Photo Credit: Dillon Ross,
Middle School Teacher
““One of the silver linings of teaching through a
pandemic has been the awe and gratitude I feel
each day as I watch every member of the Duke
School community live out our values.
After giving up summer vacation time to learn
more about distance learning, teachers meet
weekly to plan a dual distance and on-campus
program with adaptations for social distancing,
disinfecting materials, and masking.
Students continue their deep inquiry and
collaboration as a seventh grader sits at his
computer in Pod C and gives feedback to a
friend learning at his kitchen table. And first
graders continue to ask important questions
as they chat with a guest scientist over Zoom
about their Rock Project.
The results of our equity and justice work fill
the buildings during the presidential election
as students learn about voter suppression
and gerrymandering, and eighth graders work
alongside Duke University Infectious Disease
researchers collecting data for a study to find a
safe and cost-effective way to help schools stay
open during a pandemic.
Last of all, each day I observe the agency
and commitment we hold dear as everyone
pitches in to do tasks we never imagined.
The day begins as administrators and specials
teachers, thermometers in hand, spend an
hour cheerfully greeting students in carline. As
I hear my office doorknob rattle at 9 a.m., I yell
out a greeting to my friends on our custodial
staff who are keeping me safe through another
round of disinfecting. Parents chat under tents
as they pack special treats for teachers. And
parent Board members and physicians meet
with Leadership Team members every Tuesday
evening to plan for the physical and financial
health of the school.”
~ Kathy Bartelmay, Curriculum Director
30 UNDER THE OAK