Dear SSFS Families,
The School administration is sending this communication in our ongoing effort to keep you informed about the School's response to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.
As a general principle, SSFS seeks to comply with Maryland state requirements and expectations related to directives regarding gatherings and social distancing, and advice from the State Department of Education and AIMS (our state association of independent schools).
The Academic Program: The sense of the faculty and administration is that the transition to virtual learning mode has gone well overall. We are hearing about interesting and creative work by students, teachers, and families. That said, a good overall picture does not mean it is smooth sailing for all students and families. If you or your student is experiencing particular difficulty participating in SSFS educational activities, please be sure that you share this information with your child's teacher(s) and/or advisor. The school counseling and learning resource staff are also available to you, as well as administrative support where appropriate. Let us know how we can best help you. In any case, all parents are encouraged to check our COVID-19 resource page on our website for the latest communications and many additional resources.
When will this end? The most common question on everyone's mind is "when will things return to normal?" The SSFS administrative team continues to meet (virtually) on a regular basis, and seeking clarity on this question hangs over every discussion. At our Thursday morning meeting, we determined we can provide the following clarity at this point: - We will remain in virtual school mode and the campus will remain closed to everyone (except essential employees and campus residents) until at least Monday, May 18th.
- Any and all in-person events previously scheduled for between now and May 18th are either canceled, rescheduled, or in the process of being reconfigured in a way that allows for compliance with current directives and recommendations (i.e. online/virtual events). The best source of information about canceled and altered events is our school website at www.ssfs.org and the online calendar. We will continue to release our weekly newsletter that will include as much timely information as we are able to provide.
- In addition to the academic program, many events are continuing via online gatherings. The three divisions, for example, have scheduled additional Coffee and Conversation events for parents/guardians. These are listed on our website and frequently announced through emails and/or the Newsletter.
- We are evaluating all school events that were planned for the end of May and June, including the end-of year celebration events such as Lower School Moving On Day, 8th Grade Recognition Night, Graduation, and Alumni Weekend. It is our plan to provide definitive information about late May/early June events no later than April 30th. It seems likely that many of these events will need to be altered in some way, but at this point we do not feel we have enough clarity to provide useful information.
- We anticipate there is potential for alterations to the Summer at Sandy Spring summer camp programs. Again, it is too soon for us to provide definitive information regarding programs in June, July, and August. If you are a summer camp/summer program family, be sure to check the camp website for updates as the spring progresses.
Upcoming Events: - Monday, April 6th is already on our calendar as a professional day for faculty in the Middle and Upper Schools. Students should expect that there will be no new assignments that day. Teachers will be working on wrapping up the third quarter and preparing for the fourth.
- In the Lower School, teachers will be meeting in grade level groups and getting ready for (virtual) parent-teacher conferences - dates and details regarding these conferences will come directly from the Lower School.
- Each division has created additional virtual Coffee and Conversation events, and parents are encouraged to participate in these so you may stay informed and have an opportunity to ask questions. Check the calendar on the School website for updates.
- Many planned April and early May events will be canceled, or revised as online gatherings or events. Each division will be communicating about these, and the website should provide the most up-to-date information once plans have been finalized.
All of us at SSFS are committed to providing you with as much support and information as we are able. We hope that you are finding some silver linings among the clouds of "stay at home," and we wish you peace and health.
On behalf of the administrative team,
David Hickson Assistant Head of School |