The coronavirus context in our county, state, and the country has been changing dramatically over the last few weeks, and we are keeping a close eye and ear on everything that is happening. Even with these changes, our task force continues to stay focused on all the possibilities for a great start to the new school year. I promised we would share more details on the options that are being considered so that you can begin to make the necessary plans to prepare yourself and your girls for learning at GSA. While this is a work in progress, in this letter I want to share three things: 1. Current Opening Plan; 2. Facility Upgrades and COVID Safety Protocols; and 3. COVID Communication Plan.
CURRENT OPENING PLAN
All options are based on delivering a GSA quality, whole-child education focused on the tenets of community and care. We know that we will need to be flexible and make adjustments to our plan to meet the needs of students and staff and to be responsive to the changing local context. Our goal is to return to as much campus-based learning as soon as we safely can. This is what we know regarding the plan:
- It will be a dynamic plan that will continue to change as the context changes, always prioritizing the safety of students and delivering a GSA experience.
- It will include ways to pivot back to more on-campus learning as the local landscape changes.
- Orienting ourselves to distance learning with a focus on GSA community building and care.
- Our primary goal at the beginning of the school year is to build relationships; our hope is to do this in person when possible.
- To support the different needs of our community we must continue to offer distance learning options even as we are able to open the campus to some students.
Three Options We are Exploring:
Distance Learning for Grades 1-8 + On Campus Advisory/SEL/Specials; Kindergarten
- Grades 1-8 receive instruction through distance learning
- Kinder on campus; live-streaming available; use MUB and outdoor spaces
- Grades 1-8 on campus 1/week for 2-3 hours for advisory, SEL, & possibly specials.
- Using outdoor spaces as much as possible
- Time for ongoing relationship building, lessons, and support
- COVID Safety Protocols
- Training and development for all staff
- Utilize new tools (new Learning Management System; Learning Apps and more that are student-centered and friendly)
Distance Learning for All Grades + On Campus Advisory/SEL/Specials;
- K-8 receive instruction through distance learning
- K-8 on campus 1/week for 2-3 hours for advisory, SEL, and possibly specials; use MUB and outdoor spaces as much as possible
- Time for ongoing relationship building, lessons, and support
- COVID Safety Protocols
- Training and development for all staff
- Utilize new tools (new Learning Management System; Learning Apps and more that are student-centered and friendly)
Distance Learning for K-8
- K-8 receive instruction through distance learning
- Enhanced learning opportunities
- Training and development for all staff
- Utilize new tools (new Learning Management System; Learning Apps and more that are student-centered and friendly)
GSA Realities:
While we are still navigating the details, we know that any plan must balance the risk of being on campus with the potential harm of not being on campus. We also know that families will need to make decisions based on their unique circumstances, and that we must all determine our individual tolerance. As we develop our plans, we are keeping in mind these GSA realities:
- The size of our community gives us the ability to be nimble and evolve, and to be adaptable.
- We are fortunate to have modern facilities that have been updated to meet health standards (see below).
- We must work within the constraints of one teacher per grade level at LS and one teacher per content area at MS.
- Our campus footprint and available space limits the number of students and staff who can be on campus safely at any one time.
- Central Texas temperatures at the start of the school year limit the amount of time spent outdoors.
FACILITIES UPGRADES
The task force facilities committee has been working daily on preparing our school building for any type of on-campus learning opportunities. The following preparations have been completed and/or are scheduled to be completed.
Facility Preparation Updates:
- UVC lights in 16 HVAC units – 100% complete
- Sanitation stations (20 ea.) in place
- Bulk sanitizer ordered and arrived
- Digital thermometers ordered and arrived
- Toilet seats with lids added or replaced
- Power wash scheduled for late July
- Custodial summer projects scheduled to include sanitation and disinfecting
- Scheduled monthly aerosol disinfecting
- Developing plans for cleaning and sanitizing during the school year
COVID SAFETY PROTOCOLS
For us to have a successful opening our community has a shared responsibility to follow safety guidelines and protocols. We will be instituting these policies and anticipate that others may be added:
- Masks/face coverings worn by all students and staff
- Social distancing
- One -way movement on campus
- Staggered drop-off and pick-up times
- Temperature checks prior to drop off
- Daily health checklists
COVID COMMUNICATION PLAN
Our goal in communication with you is to be: timely, transparent, and two-way. Here’s what you can expect:
- Weekly communication (every Tuesday)
- COVID Updates Webpage with update archive and Task Force information
- Finalized plan by end of July
- Virtual Town Hall
Regardless of the mode we may find ourselves in to start our new school year, we will continue to educate the whole child by holding true to our GSA mission and values. And most importantly, we will lean into the challenges of this new landscape together as a community of caring individuals, committed to raising the girls in our care.
In closing, I want to thank you for your patience as we work through these challenging times. It seems that all of us are doing the impossible personally and professionally. Thank you for believing in us and for your continuous support!
With gratitude,
Dr. Peña