Good Day St. Anne's Families,
INFORMATIONAL TOWN HALL OPPORTUNITIES As announced in our reopening document, we have two upcoming "town hall" sessions, via Google Meet, for new and returning families to answer questions about our plans for the year. In addition to the leadership team's participation, these sessions will include: Beverly Ashkenase and Andrea Croce, our school nurses; Dr. Priya Patel, a Safety Task Force member and former SAES Trustee and parent; and representatives of the Middletown YMCA. The focus of these meetings will be on the operational elements of the reopening plan and information for those Google Meets (which will be recorded) as follows:
Next week, Assistant Head of School Jill Reilly will host Division specific meetings to address the educational program questions that each of you likely have. Jill is sending out a "back to school" packet early next week via email so please be on the lookout for that message. Information for those Google Meets as follows: Middle School: Wednesday, August 19: 4:00 – 4:45 p.m., click here. UPDATED REOPENING ADDENDUM We appreciate the response to the SAES reopening plan as a number of parents submitted questions and we have addressed those, by way of an addendum, on our website here. Please do take the time to read this addendum to the plan as it includes updates to our mask policy (ALL students must wear them) as well as information on transportation, testing, quarantine protocols and additional safety and hygiene measures we are implementing as we prepare for the year. Let me reassure you that we are following all guidelines set forth by the Delaware Department of Education and Department of Public Health and we will continue to be vigilant about the proven mitigation strategies of mask-wearing, hand-washing, and physical distancing.
PRE-ARRIVAL SCREENING As a reminder, students and/or their parents will complete a health assessment, most likely though a mobile app, every morning before arrival. More information about that process will be coming shortly but it is safe to assume that students who exhibit any COVID-related symptoms will be asked to stay home and follow up with the school nurse. Furthermore, we have established an expanded space for our nurses so that any student who feels unwell can be assessed and if necessary then kept separate from other students until that student can be picked up from St. Anne's.
Experts agree that taking students outside as much as possible mitigates the threat of virus transmission. We will be maximizing the use of our 100 Acre campus to the fullest extent possible in order to keep with this best practice. I was thrilled to witness so many members of our SAES community on Monday and Tuesday evening helping to cultivate and groom our now 18 dedicated outdoor learning spaces around the campus. Previously, we had eight of these areas. WOW! Our resident outdoor education educator and expert, Kerry Willson, has been leading efforts to create these additional outdoor spaces and will be running a professional development session for our staff prior to the start of school. We have made plans to add rain shelters and four, semi-permanent dome tents to be installed around campus, which will provide additional options even during inclement weather.
COVID-19 TESTING While it is clear that children are by no means immune to COVID-19, evidence suggests that severe illness due to COVID-19 is rare among children. The good news is that COVID-19 testing is a priority for the State of Delaware and the current plan is for all faculty and staff to be tested prior to the start of school. Our employees will also complete a health assessment every morning before coming to school. A plan for ongoing testing will be communicated based on current community spread and recommendations by the Department of Public Health and is possible that our faculty, staff and students may be tested throughout the school year.
As expected, the DIAA has decided to postpone school sports as other neighboring states have until at least December. We will keep you apprised of any updates.
The St. Anne's Parent Association is planning some events aimed at community building for the upcoming year. More information can be found on the SAPA section of our website but I want to call your attention to a fun evening they are planning which is an outdoor, on campus showing of 'The Lorax' on Friday, August 21st at 8:00pm! Also, the Parents' Association is looking for Homeroom reps for the upcoming year and anyone interested should email: saessapa@gmail.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Transparency from all of us-- educators and parents alike-- will be more important and necessary than ever during this unprecedented time. We recognize that this is not an easy time for anyone, but we are ready for the challenge, excited for the year, and I so appreciate your ongoing support and trust. As always, if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please reach out to me directly or use this form. I'm looking forward to seeing you and your child(ren) very soon!
Regards, Barry |