Although most members of the Masters community have yet to return to campus since Head of School Laura  Danforth announced  that classes will be remote for the rest of the year,  many teachers who live on campus year round have elected to stay on campus while the world struggles with the ongoing crisis.

For many residential faculty members, the coronavirus brings new and unexpected obstacles with the school year ending early. Closure of the dining hall creates the burden of needing to cook extra meals, given that most residential families typically make use of all day dining hall services. Living on campus with the added responsibility of caring for a family and children makes the lockdown all the more challenging.

English teacher and class of 2022 Dean Shelly Kaye has noted several difficulties that come with juggling online teaching and family life. “Both my husband and I are teachers, and we each have separate teaching schedules to follow. My children are both in elementary school, and each has a different schedule. So at any given moment of the day, there are four people online, teaching or learning, and four computers competing for bandwidth,” Kaye said. Adding, “Life at home these days is hectic, but we are also very blessed and try to see the good in the situation as well. We are in a very fortunate and privileged position, and we can’t forget that. Our challenges pale in comparison to the struggles of so many people around the world.”

Residential faculty member and History and Religion chair Skeff Young says the entire town of Dobbs Ferry is rather quiet, and that he and other families living on campus only leave campus for brief visits to Stop and Shop. 

“I’d describe campus right now as very quiet and pastoral,” Young said. Adding, “The sounds of nature are much more present (on campus) with few, if any humans seen on any given day.”

With Laura Danforth announcing on April 16, that distance learning will last through the end of the 2019-2020 school year, faculty members on campus and students at their homes alike will be forced to adapt to a new normal. Although this news came with disappointment for many, faculty on campus are still working to facilitate a happy, healthy campus dynamic.

 “Although the campus, as in the grounds and the buildings feel still and quiet, there is actually a lot of activity and bustle happening behind the scenes and in our homes. Everyone is working diligently to prepare for the community to come back together in person. And I do think we need to shout out the amazing people who have kept our campus so clean and breathtakingly beautiful,” Kaye said.