Dear SSFS Families,
With the arrival of the COVID-19 illness in our local area, the possibility of a required, extended school closing seems much less remote today than even just a day ago. Prudence and care for our students dictate that we plan for this possibility, recognizing that we may not be provided much more time to have a plan in place. At this point, we cannot predict the trajectory of this situation; we may never be faced with a requirement to close school, or we may face that situation on Monday.
We are highly conscious of the need to support students and families in the event of school closure, particularly with preserving as much academic continuity and forward movement as we can. The broad plan, in the event of an extended school closure, would be to convert to a "virtual school" approach where students will be able to continue essential learning from home via online resources and related supports. This conversion requires very different tools and strategies than our in-person teaching, and SSFS faculty need substantial time to learn the tools needed and develop strategies essential to supporting continued student learning.
To this end, we are instituting two steps in order to be better prepared: - Wednesday afternoon (March 11, 2020) will be used to jump-start professional training and development for a virtual school scenario. While there will be no change that day to the normal Wednesday school schedule, we want families to be aware of this work.
- There will be no school on Friday, March 13, 2020, and the day will be a professional development day for teachers to acquire skills, learn tools, and make academic plans for the virtual school situation.
We recognize the inconvenience this change may represent to many families. However, this extraordinary situation requires us to have the opportunity to plan professionally together so that we can provide your child the highest quality educational program possible.
Additional notes: - Please encourage your student to bring home any textbooks or other learning materials that may be needed if the school campus is inaccessible. For students in grades 6-12, this should include iPads/laptops or other devices that would be needed to access assignments and other school work remotely.
- The dormitory will remain open on Friday, 3/13, and that weekend. Part of our current planning involves providing for boarding students in the event of a school closure, and we will share details regarding those plans with the families of boarders.
- For Lower School families, our counselor Joel Gunzburg met with all students to talk about the basics of preventative practices as well as social-emotional impact, and the best ways to prevent people from being singled out by race/culture. A booklet was distributed to students who wanted one.
- As always, please continue to communicate with your teacher, child's advisor, and division head about specifics. I also continue to be a resource for you.
- We will share more information along the way. You've received a multitude of emails from the school in recent days. We will continue to err on the side of over-communication and maximum transparency. Copies of School emails and updates, along with additional resources related to the Coronavirus outbreak, are available on the School's COVID-19 Update web page.
In peace,
David Hickson Assistant Head of School |