March 16, 2020 Dear SSFS Families,
I am writing to you again in our efforts to keep families informed as we all continue to adapt to the realities of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The School continues to evaluate the situation, and our response to it, on a daily basis.
Based on the most recent information from the CDC, which recommends ceasing/reducing gatherings for the next eight weeks, we now expect that SSFS will remain in virtual learning mode through at least mid-May. In addition, while we cannot at this point definitively say what will happen after that time, and what SSFS's response might be, we are considering options and scenarios that may present themselves, including the possibility that we may need to sustain virtual learning until the end of the school year.
We are sharing this information now so that families have the best opportunity to consider long-term plans. We all recognize that moving teaching and learning to a virtual platform creates a burden on families, particularly those with young children who may be balancing work demands with child care. This is a global reality.
Beginning tomorrow, March 17th, we are in "virtual learning" mode and school remains in session. We will break for our scheduled spring break next week (no new assignments posted), and virtual learning will resume on March 30th.
International Students: We also recognize that many of our international families are now considering different options, given that our virtual school mode will be in place for at least eight weeks and perhaps to the end of the school year. SSFS is committed to supporting families as they consider the well being of their students given the uncertainty around international travel and the challenges of temporary host family arrangements of indeterminate length. To that end: - Based on our latest understanding of the situation, we are now encouraging families to consider having your student return home, or into a long-term supervised housing situation (family in the USA, for example).
- Please communicate with Upper School and dormitory staff about your family's plans and how we can support your efforts.
- We will make every effort to sustain virtual learning for students who are at a distance. This will require flexibility on the part of students, as well.
- Should the School elect to resume in-person school, we will continue to provide academic support to students who traveled home (and who may have difficulty returning to the United States). We are examining these possible scenarios closely and will provide more definitive information when we can.
- A more detailed communication from Jonathan Oglesbee to boarding students and families is forthcoming.
Gatherings On and Off Campus and Social Distancing: One of our guiding principles for determining steps is that to interrupt virus transmission, we need to minimize close personal contact. As a result: - SSFS employees will mostly be working from home and the campus will be minimally occupied during the school day. If you need assistance from someone, email or call them in advance to work out how that assistance can be provided remotely.
- We ask that families do not come on campus to use school facilities (including playgrounds, arranging meetings with other families, using athletic fields, etc.) during this time.
- Pick-up locations in each division will end this week. After Friday, there will be essentially no access to campus buildings, and restricted access to the campus in general.
- In accordance with informed advice, we discourage the arrangement of play dates, student get-togethers, etc. These defeat the purpose of closing schools in the first place. That said, we understand that parents do need to make child care arrangements that work for their own circumstances.
- Weeks of no school, and reduced social interaction, will be challenging for students (and adults). Getting outside can help, and there is no reason why recommended social distancing has to involve staying inside as long as interpersonal contact is avoided or minimized. Being outside can be an antidote to screen time.
Standardized Testing: SSFS will seek to keep Upper School families informed about how COVID-19 closures are affecting college admissions testing, including the ACT, SAT, and APs. For example, the ACT and the College Board have provided information about postponed testing. We do not yet have definitive information about AP testing, and students in AP classes should stay current in these classes as teachers seek to make sure you are as prepared as possible for the national test.
We hope that everyone is doing well and staying healthy as we move through unchartered territory. Please take the time for self-care, and remember that we can still connect with and provide support and assistance for one another virtually, despite our current period of "social distancing." To this end, we continue to add links to the Family Support Resources on our COVID-19 Update web page, and welcome input from families on how we can best serve our community.
In peace,
David Hickson Assistant Head of School |