6802 McClean Blvd.  Baltimore, MD 21234 410.444.3800  CHILDRENSGUILD.ORG August 27, 2020 Dear Monarch Annapolis Families, My name is Kathy Lane, Chief of Educational Services for The Children’s Guild Alliance, the Educational Management Organization which operates the three Monarch schools in Anne Arundel County. As the new school year is set to begin, we are very excited to welcome 250+ new families to Monarch Academy Annapolis, the youngest of our network of schools. We recognize it has been a challenging time for our families, staff, and our community, as well as our nation. With COVID-19 still rampant and the heightened awareness of the myriad of inequalities in our society, we are keenly aware that adding 250+ new families to a school community as diverse as ours creates a layer of complexity to the already daunting task of educating our school community in a distance learning platform, while prioritizing the need to build a strong and inclusive school culture. Any new charter school faces this challenge, unlike traditional schools which typically add only a new group of kindergartners, 6 th graders or 9th graders each year. But this is the beauty of charter schools and why, among other things, we hope you chose our school - to contribute to the development of the school culture, not just join one and hope your child fits in. To this end, Monarch Academy Annapolis have been reorganizing and expanding our staffing to support the whole child and ensure pathways for active engagement within our diverse tapestry of family partnerships. To prepare for this growth, Ms. Amstutz created two new positions Family and Student Support and Bi-lingual Outreach Coordinator. Mr. Rowel and Mr. Vincente, along with the school administration, will be reaching out to families to solicit and encourage active engagement with all of our students and families as we continue to build the strong, diverse, equity minded, social justice demanding school Monarch Annapolis was envisioned to be. In only our fourth year, we are approaching our full capacity of 805 students! During the first 3 years we added 200-300 new students and families to our school each year, which adds a unique dynamic to community building and clearly remains a work in progress. We look forward to your active participation, constructive feedback, and collaborative voice as we seek to reflect the community we serve, and together build the exceptional, inclusive community school we all desire. In just the past year, MAA has added eSchool; PreK; expanded Gifted and Talented pathways with an emphasis on under-represented students; increased performing and visionary arts programing; expanded community and business partnerships; reorganized staffing for a greater emphasis on student and family support; added authentic language and culture experiences through Spanish programming; supported the complex transition to eLearning with a great deal of success as reflected in high levels of student attendance, engagement, teacher training, and offered a summer fun series. We are working hard to fulfill our mission to transform the way America cares for and educates its children and youth, putting kids, your kids, first! Thank you for choosing Monarch Academy Annapolis and for your role in contributing to the development of one of the most innovative schools in Anne Arundel County. We are beyond excited for the new school year to start and the opportunity to become partners with you in the education and social emotional development of your child. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at lanek@childrensguild.org should you ever have any questions or concerns. TRANSFORMI NG THE WAY AMERICA C ARE S FOR AND EDUC ATES ITS CHILDREN With gratitude, Kathy Lane Kathy Lane Chief of Educational Services The Children’s Guild Alliance 410-444-3800 x 1178 TRANSFORMI NG THE WAY AMERICA C ARE S FOR AND EDUC ATES ITS CHILDREN