Administrative Update - 05/12/2020
Dear Members of the Archmere Community,
We have a serving plate in our kitchen that has hairline cracks, a couple of chips, and is a little faded. It was my mother's plate, and perhaps she even inherited it from her mother. Even though it is very weathered, I still like it. I thought about the plate as a metaphor for looking at this school year as it is quickly coming to a close.
We have a serving plate in our kitchen that has hairline cracks, a couple of chips, and is a little faded. It was my mother's plate, and perhaps she even inherited it from her mother. Even though it is very weathered, I still like it. I thought about the plate as a metaphor for looking at this school year as it is quickly coming to a close.
The extended physical isolation we are experiencing is like the hairline cracks in the plate. We are still a community, though we have felt the stress and anxiety of being unable to be together in person. Because of our physical limitations, we lost opportunities to do things, much like the chips in the plate. Perhaps we are having a difficult moment as we look back on the year and feel disappointed at a less-than perfect picture of how everything turned out, like the faded pattern on the plate. However, though we may all be a bit "weathered" at this point, like my plate, I would not wish to have worked through this experience with any other group of people. Each of you - students, families, teachers, staff, board members, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, friends, and benefactors - contributes to the resilience of the Archmere community, which allows us to look to the future.
A special "congratulations" to the seniors who have completed all of their requirements for graduation. Four years of hard work and effort, great experiences mixed with challenges and disappointments, I am sure, will now be summarized as your high school experience. While the celebrations that should be going along with this - prom, Baccalaureate, and Commencement - are not punctuating these last student days, consider that you will have more days to celebrate than any other graduating class in the history of Archmere - from now to our planned "senior week" at the end of July.
As I mentioned in last week's letter, everyone is invited to join us for Mass on Sunday, May 31, 2020, at 10 AM to close the school year, celebrate with the Class of 2020, and say "Farewell" to retiring faculty, Mr. Terry Newitt and Dr. Jenna Christie, as well as Soccer Coach, Mr. Bob Bussiere. We will also publicly thank and acknowledge Mr. John Jordan '80, principal, who will be moving on to Saint Edmond's Academy as Headmaster.
Seniors and their families will be receiving a separate communication regarding the May 31 scheduled afternoon pick-up on campus of "senior gift boxes." These have been specially prepared for each student.
The 2020-2021 school year will begin with a full day of classes on Monday, August 31, 2020. The prior week's events will include Freshman orientation on August 25 and 26, and faculty and staff professional development days on August 27 and 28. We are still uncertain about a fall sports schedule; however, practices are calendared to begin on Monday, August 17.
Regardless of what the mandate in place will be regarding school operations, Archmere Academy will be ready to begin the school year on schedule - whether it is to be in person on campus, in a blended format, or remotely. We place the safety and health of our students and families, teachers and staff above everything else. Therefore, should we be able to gather on campus, we will follow appropriate health guidelines and practices.
Our administrative team is reviewing several excellent planning resources developed by the National Association of Independent Schools and other information shared by the Association for Delaware Valley Independent Schools. We face the planning challenge of not knowing how the summer will unfold with regard to the spread of the virus and our State's response. Therefore, we are developing contingency plans now that will be deployed based on the events of the summer. The week after classes end, the administrative team will participate in a retreat to refine plans for the next school year.
For those who are able to help support Archmere's mission, and perhaps make a stretch gift this year, we would be very grateful. Our Giving Day next Wednesday, May 20 provides a unique opportunity to double the impact of your gift. An anonymous donor has pledged $25,000 and will match other gifts received dollar for dollar up to $25,000. Please consider a gift to support Archmere students and families who may be experiencing financial hardship. In addition to asking for support, we have completed a line-by-line review of our operating budget, holding flat or reducing department budgets, and identifying any efficiencies to offset anticipated reductions in revenue and additional requests for financial assistance.
We will manage through these economic challenges. In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27-31a) Archmere has faced many challenges since its founding in 1932 during the Great Depression. I am confident that, with God's help, the steadfast dedication and resilience of our community will carry us through this critical time in history. Students and families want to be at Archmere, as evidenced by the 120 families who participated in the Seventh Grade Open House, the 122 families of the Class of 2024 with a few more families potentially joining them, along with 4 new families of students transferring into the Sophomore and Junior classes. Conversations with our returning families have been encouraging and uplifting.
We have so much to appreciate and celebrate, though we all recognize that the last several weeks would definitely not be the ideal way to finish the school year or an entire high school experience. However, just as I am not ready to retire my mother's plate because it has a few cracks, chips, and faded spots, we will not dismiss the vision of what Archmere represents and means to us now, what it has the potential to become and the influence it will always have in shaping our lives. Who knows, maybe someday my plate will be considered a valuable antique, but that doesn't matter much to me - I just like it for what it is!
Sincerely,
Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76
Headmaster
Back
Ending the 2019-2020 School Year
We conclude the semester on Friday, May 29. We congratulate all of our students for their efforts, particularly as they adjusted to distance learning since mid-March. Though the physical limitations imposed by the pandemic were challenging to manage, the technical and creative innovations developed by both students and teachers as a result will surely have lasting impact on our pedagogy.A special "congratulations" to the seniors who have completed all of their requirements for graduation. Four years of hard work and effort, great experiences mixed with challenges and disappointments, I am sure, will now be summarized as your high school experience. While the celebrations that should be going along with this - prom, Baccalaureate, and Commencement - are not punctuating these last student days, consider that you will have more days to celebrate than any other graduating class in the history of Archmere - from now to our planned "senior week" at the end of July.
As I mentioned in last week's letter, everyone is invited to join us for Mass on Sunday, May 31, 2020, at 10 AM to close the school year, celebrate with the Class of 2020, and say "Farewell" to retiring faculty, Mr. Terry Newitt and Dr. Jenna Christie, as well as Soccer Coach, Mr. Bob Bussiere. We will also publicly thank and acknowledge Mr. John Jordan '80, principal, who will be moving on to Saint Edmond's Academy as Headmaster.
Seniors and their families will be receiving a separate communication regarding the May 31 scheduled afternoon pick-up on campus of "senior gift boxes." These have been specially prepared for each student.
Planning for the Summer and Next School Year
Governor Carney has indicated that June 1 is the date for the State to begin "re-opening" for business, which will be completed in phases, as reported in the media. Obviously, we have no idea how long each of the three phases will take; however, we are making plans to be prepared for multiple contingencies.The 2020-2021 school year will begin with a full day of classes on Monday, August 31, 2020. The prior week's events will include Freshman orientation on August 25 and 26, and faculty and staff professional development days on August 27 and 28. We are still uncertain about a fall sports schedule; however, practices are calendared to begin on Monday, August 17.
Regardless of what the mandate in place will be regarding school operations, Archmere Academy will be ready to begin the school year on schedule - whether it is to be in person on campus, in a blended format, or remotely. We place the safety and health of our students and families, teachers and staff above everything else. Therefore, should we be able to gather on campus, we will follow appropriate health guidelines and practices.
Our administrative team is reviewing several excellent planning resources developed by the National Association of Independent Schools and other information shared by the Association for Delaware Valley Independent Schools. We face the planning challenge of not knowing how the summer will unfold with regard to the spread of the virus and our State's response. Therefore, we are developing contingency plans now that will be deployed based on the events of the summer. The week after classes end, the administrative team will participate in a retreat to refine plans for the next school year.
Financial Impact on Archmere and Archmere Students and Their Families
Needless to say, the economic impact of the "shelter in place" mandate to minimize the spread of the virus has been financially devastating to many businesses and families. Many believe that we will see continued negative impact - a ripple effect of sorts - even as the local economies in our areas re-energize. From a prudent forecasting perspective, this could mean that, while we have seen a significant increase in the requests for financial assistance from current families already, we may find financial need to be more acute in the coming years, until a vaccine is found and the economy rebuilds. At the same time, income from our endowed funds is projected to be lower, as the value of the funds has decreased with the stock market. We can also expect that total contributions for the current year and next year may be lower, as donors may have less discretionary income or are being asked to support programs that respond to immediate needs of food and shelter for unemployed citizens.For those who are able to help support Archmere's mission, and perhaps make a stretch gift this year, we would be very grateful. Our Giving Day next Wednesday, May 20 provides a unique opportunity to double the impact of your gift. An anonymous donor has pledged $25,000 and will match other gifts received dollar for dollar up to $25,000. Please consider a gift to support Archmere students and families who may be experiencing financial hardship. In addition to asking for support, we have completed a line-by-line review of our operating budget, holding flat or reducing department budgets, and identifying any efficiencies to offset anticipated reductions in revenue and additional requests for financial assistance.
We will manage through these economic challenges. In today's Gospel, Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27-31a) Archmere has faced many challenges since its founding in 1932 during the Great Depression. I am confident that, with God's help, the steadfast dedication and resilience of our community will carry us through this critical time in history. Students and families want to be at Archmere, as evidenced by the 120 families who participated in the Seventh Grade Open House, the 122 families of the Class of 2024 with a few more families potentially joining them, along with 4 new families of students transferring into the Sophomore and Junior classes. Conversations with our returning families have been encouraging and uplifting.
We have so much to appreciate and celebrate, though we all recognize that the last several weeks would definitely not be the ideal way to finish the school year or an entire high school experience. However, just as I am not ready to retire my mother's plate because it has a few cracks, chips, and faded spots, we will not dismiss the vision of what Archmere represents and means to us now, what it has the potential to become and the influence it will always have in shaping our lives. Who knows, maybe someday my plate will be considered a valuable antique, but that doesn't matter much to me - I just like it for what it is!
Sincerely,
Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. '76
Headmaster
Archmere Academy is a private, Catholic, college preparatory co-educational academy,
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
grades 9-12 founded in 1932 by the Norbertine Fathers.
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