Dear Marshall Families, Greetings on the first Friday afternoon of the new school year. Last March, I started writing a letter to the community each Friday just after we moved to online learning. These Friday letters typically focus on school-wide issues; the principals then follow up a day or two later with specific, logistical information. The subheads in these communications might help you search for information that is most interesting or useful to your family. We will continue to write these letters as long as they are necessary, and they will be archived on the website. The Early Start Our students now have a week of learning under their belt, and Labor Day is still ten days away. This feels good. Our early start enabled us to utilize outdoor spaces, and the students were able to connect with new friends in class and through advisory activities. Already, the students have learning materials in hand, and the older students had a chance to test remote learning today. We can check several boxes. The year is underway and it is great to see students in the halls. The early start also meant that we had some trial and error. We did not have the benefit of watching other schools open before us, so we had to carefully monitor each activity this week to see what is working and what needs fine-tuning. We have asked for feedback from every classroom teacher, and we will make necessary adjustments heading into week two. As long as we avoid complacency, we believe we will be better each week. This constant attention to detail has the administrative team in the hallways throughout the school day, which means that our responses to emails and phone calls may be slightly delayed. We thank you for the patience you have shown as we work through scheduling matters and other week one issues. With the early start, even if we take another week to iron out a few details, we still emerge ahead of the game. Reporting & Case Counts We have been asked for clarification on case reporting and case counts. Similarly, some parents have asked for more specifics related to how metrics impact decision-making. As I said in the most recent Town Hall, we will follow the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines as they pertain to cases per county. However, when it comes to cases in our immediate community, we might pivot sooner than the MDH recommendation, which is when we have a community case rate of 5% of our immediate population. Each case is distinct and each impacts the community in different ways. We can envision being well under 5%, yet needing to take some time off to put safeguards in place. We cannot envision having a case rate above 5% and electing to stay in person. Please know that we work closely with state, local, county, and district officials, all of whom are especially helpful and graciously available to us. We meet daily to assess information, and rely heavily on experts when interpretations are necessary. We are grateful for the involvement of our Health Center Staff as well. In response to requests for more specific information, we are reviewing other school and college websites to see how they are presenting information. If we see a method of presentation that provides more information--yet is in keeping with confidentiality requirements, we will implement it. Travel & Policy Change Recent changes to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines certainly garnered headlines. Last week, for instance, the CDC adjusted travel guidance leading to many interpretations of quarantine expectations. That said, the first two sentences on the CDC travel page still say the exact same thing: "Travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19." This much we know: Travel is a risk and all risks must be weighed carefully right now. Each week, I am in contact with leaders at other independent schools and, throughout the country, a high percentage of exposures and positive cases are linked to travel sports and tournaments. Please reconsider unnecessary travel at this time. Further exposures and/or positive cases may force our hand and necessitate a move to online learning. Please know also that the MDH has proposed a "sibling" or "household" quarantine clause, which will likely be in effect very soon. This clause stipulates that if one member of the household has close contact with a positive case, all family members quarantine for 14 days. In this scenario, one athlete testing positive at a tournament could sideline many families for two full weeks.
Overheard in the Halls A fourth grade parent told Karen Snyder that her son has come home each day this week declaring it, "the best day ever." I am not certain how long this streak will continue, but I am glad he feels this way about being back at school. I trust others are glad to be back as well. They are doing such a good job of following so many new rules. Their very presence is worth celebrating and their outstanding effort is noteworthy. Being in session is challenging for sure. The teachers have worked especially hard to make it possible, so the compliments and the children's smiles are a nice reward indeed.
Kevin © 2020 Marshall School |