Stratford Academy Good morning, parents!
As many of you know, our Re-Entry Task Force has been working tirelessly over the summer with our plans for reopening, and I hope you were able to read through our Rekindling the Spark! plans that were emailed to you a few weeks ago. As promised, I said I would update you as more information becomes available. I have learned that any attempt to keep a COVID communication brief is absurd. So, grab your reading glasses, park the kids in front of the TV, sit on the patio, and read this in full!
As indicated in Rekindling the Spark!, the Re-Entry Task Force is operating under a Phase Green, Phase Yellow, Phase Orange, and Phase Red matrix for next year. As the weeks of the summer come and go, we were anticipating the number of COVID-19 cases to decline which would have given us hope to resume school under Phase Yellow. However, because the Georgia Department of Public Health has now designated Middle Georgia as an "area of substantial COVID-19 spread," if this trend continues until our opening day on August 19, the Re-Entry Task Force has recommended that we begin the school year in Phase Orange. This decision was reached by our Re-Entry Task Force in accordance with medical professionals Dr. Jennifer Hoffman, Dr. Jason Smith, Dr. Harold Katner and Dr. Maryam Sedghi who consulted the recommendations of the Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and Mayor Reichert's recent executive order.
According to the reopening plans Stratford issued on June 16, Phase Orange consists of the following modifications: ● The American Academy of Pediatrics highly encourages face masks for students in Beginners - 2nd grade but understand that children in this age group struggle to properly wear the personal protective equipment. Students in these grades will have access to dividers and face shields as needed and will be grouped to avoid as much mixing as possible; ● Temperature checks for everyone arriving to campus each morning before entering the buildings; ● To the greatest degree possible, Preschool & Lower School students will remain in one classroom (or "nest") for the entire day; ● To the greatest degree possible, enrichment teachers will rotate through classes to limit hallway mixing; ● Lunch room service provided by FLIK will be utilizing a pre-order online system and food will be served in pre-packaged containers (more information forthcoming) and will be consumed either in the lunchroom on a rotating schedule to limit mixing, inside the classroom, or in our outdoor spaces; ● Cafeterias and other large common spaces on campus could be repurposed as classrooms to enable social distancing.
Current guidance from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend these scientifically proven attempts to help dramatically reduce the risk of transmission which will allow us to operate the school day with as few modifications as possible. While the information from the Department of Public Health is continually changing as more data becomes available, by opening under Phase Orange with these additional guidelines in place, Stratford is confident that the school can remain open when a COVID case is confirmed in a student or employee. This will allow us to deal with each occurrence on a case-by-case basis and the vast majority of students can remain on campus engaged in learning. Should the Department of Public Health remove the Middle Georgia area from it's "area of substantial spread" list, or the State of Georgia issue any mandatory regulation, the decision to resume school under Phase Orange will be reevaluated.
Before the school year begins on August 19, every family with students in grades 3rd -12th is responsible for purchasing a face mask of their choosing that fits their comfort level. Masks may be any color or pattern but must be free from pictures, logos, and writing. The gaiter-style face mask is acceptable but bandanas are not. There are an abundance of websites where facial coverings can be acquired, but as more schools in our area are requiring face masks, particularly now that the University System of Georgia has required masks, we urge you to order several soon. Should a student forget his or her mask at home, we will have single use masks for him or her to use for the day. If you have any specific questions regarding face masks, please direct those to your division head.
As we continue to prepare for opening day, it is vital that you keep the school informed when your child or someone within your household tests positive for the COVID-19 virus. While this information will not be shared with anyone outside of the Head of School office, this will aid in our reopening plans and allow us to better understand the spread of the virus within the Stratford community. If you or someone in your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 at any point over the summer or gets it at any point in the future, please email Kathryn Manley at Kathryn.Manley@stratford.org . Thank you in advance for keeping us informed! We know that several of you have inquired about Rekindling the Spark From Afar! online option for families who do not yet feel comfortable sending their children back to school regardless of our best efforts. Currently, we are exploring technology that will allow teachers to either live-stream their lessons utilizing video conferencing software or engage with their students via applications to continue curriculum delivery. While we firmly believe learning is at its best on campus, and there are things that simply cannot be replicated in an online learning environment, this is a temporary alternative that will allow our students to learn from home should their families wish for them to do so. If you are interested in this learning option, please email your division head by July 20, to secure your spot and to receive extra information. By submitting your name, you do not obligate yourself to this program. We simply need to gather how many people are interested.
Eagles, if you hear anything from this communication today, please hear this: we are doing everything we can in order to open and safely remain open on August 19. However, as we have seen play out over the last several months, even the best laid plans are easily thwarted by mandates that are released by state and local officials. As I previously communicated, this is a situation that changes rapidly, so what is the standard today may be outdated tomorrow. As we learn more information, you'll most certainly be kept informed. While these temporary measures of temperature checks, facial coverings, and social distancing are inconvenient and, frankly, annoying, they are the decisions that will allow us to keep our students and faculty safe while continuing to engage in our robust academic curriculum.
Please know that I understand there are vastly different schools of thought within our own community about the approaches to the mitigation of this virus. As such, I know with each decision our team makes, we earn both applause and jeers from members of our school. However, I firmly believe the Stratford community is one that values thoughtfulness and preparedness over all, and I hope you are able to see how much time and attention the Re-Entry Task Force is applying to the reopening efforts. Soon, you'll receive an in-depth explanation of what Phase Orange entails and then you'll be invited to a Parent Town Hall that Stratford will host in order to address any lingering questions or concerns.
Your Re-Entry Task Force remains committed to deploying "the right model at the right moment" to ensure we are protected, safe, and that learning can continue. We appreciate everyone's understanding that we are facing an unprecedented situation that, unfortunately, requires unprecedented responses with no playbook, manual or guide. I am so thankful for the trust you place in me to keep your children safe. In my short time as Head of School, I've come to quickly love and appreciate each of your children as if they are family. As many of you know, my own daughter will start in the Beginners program this fall, so I have a personal interest in making sure the school handles this pandemic in the best way we know how. Again, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Until we meet again, stay healthy and wash those hands!
Courage and confidence,
Logan Bowlds Chief Energy Officer © 2019 Stratford Academy, 6010 Peake Rd, Macon, Georgia, 31220, 478.477.8073
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