May 14, 2022 Dear Middle School Families, I want to thank all of our families, students, and faculty for their quick pivot to remote classes at the end of the week on such very short notice – you were all remarkable! In light of the large number of Middle School COVID cases, this pause allowed everyone to reset, get a little distance, and make sure everyone was in a good place moving forward. I so appreciate everyone's flexibility in what continues to be challenging times.
We will return to in-person learning as planned on Monday, May 16, and we look forward to welcoming your children back on campus! With the warm summer-like weather continuing next week, we plan to get the students outdoors as much as possible and open the windows to maximize fresh air flow indoors. Below are a few important updates and reminders for our return to campus: Spring Concerts - Our spring concerts will proceed as planned, with choral groups performing Wednesday, May 18, and instrumental groups on Thursday, May 19. Both concerts are at 7 p.m. in the Hillman Center at the Senior School.
- The benefit of having two separate concerts instead of a single combined one is that there should be plenty of room for families to spread out in the Rauh Theater. We encourage guests to consider masking at the concert for added protection as well.
COVID-19 Reminders - Masking: In light of current case numbers, again we strongly encourage families to revisit their decisions about masking. Well-fitting surgical, KN95 or N95 masks are encouraged as they provide significantly better protection than cloth masks. Close contacts and those returning to school after testing positive should follow masking guidance in our Case Protocols.
- Testing: If your child is symptomatic or a close contact, please get them a PCR test and stay home until results are received. At-home tests are less reliable and can produce false negatives.
- Symptoms: Ensuring symptomatic students do not come to school is one of the most effective ways of reducing the spread of the virus. Please be diligent in doing so, as we know it is allergy season, and symptoms can be overlooked.
We look forward to the closing weeks of school with great anticipation. There are many great events still planned, and we are making every effort to ensure they can still occur. I am eager to see many of you at our concerts this week to hear what amazing work our kids have done all term. Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Sincerely, Amy Nixon Head of Middle School |