Dear Parents,
I’m sending this update to inform you of the actions taken this morning by the Crisis Team. Thank you for your patience as we work out the details of our planning in the face of the current concern.
First, school is open tomorrow, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. We expect students to return from the vacation and have worked to prepare for classes to resume as normal with some stipulations below.
The following is a revised exclusion list for students starting Tuesday, March 2 that is now based on the European CDC guidance for this region. We relied on the US CDC in the past, but their approach is by country alone, not for regional specifics. We will continue to use a combination of US CDC for global decisions and ECDC for regional advice. We have agreed at the Crisis Team level that this is sufficient exclusion for our risk matrix and more relevant to our population. This has reduced the area of concern for Italy to specific regions and urgent that you read this. Our regularly updated area list is here:
If you are not sure if you should come to school tomorrow, and in ALL cases, you should write to our new email address set up for this purpose:
Write immediately to aswhealth@aswarsaw.org
Include:
- Names and Grade levels of children
- Travel itinerary including dates and modes of transportation
We will respond as soon as possible to confirm for you whether you should self-quarantine. Further, we will add your names to the monitored list and suggest the date of return based on the information provided and we will notify teachers to provide enhanced methods for class virtual inclusion during the absence. You should write to us at the above address even if you have already been in touch with other staff on your status. This will allow us to make sure we are addressing your needs and communicating with staff.
If you are not sure of your status or if you are waiting for a response from aswhealth@aswarsaw.org, you should STAY AT HOME until you receive confirmation of your status.
The Crisis Team affirmed that the school is now at Risk Level 2 according to our risk planning matrix.
As you have already been informed, all CEESA student travel and events have been canceled until May 1st. This was primarily in response to other countries’ increasing restrictions on travel and canceled participation. CEESA will continue to review this decision and determine if further cancelations are warranted. Adult travel and non-CEESA student travel is being assessed on a case-by-case basis.
A comprehensive FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) has been developed and will be enhanced incrementally to try and keep you informed of important information. It is located on a Zimplicity web page to help in automated translation. You can find the FAQ here:
Please know that these exclusions are beyond what is currently advised by local government and could change if the government offers any additional guidance.
In preparation for any potential that school might be closed, ASW has prepared guides for your review on our move to virtual schooling. Virtual schooling will provide a method where school can continue even while closed. We already use many of the tools in the guides for daily use and we believe there can be a smooth transition under these guidelines:
- ASW Crisis Manual
- Parent Virtual Learning Guide – Elementary
- Parent Virtual Learning Guide – Upper School
These links are also available in PowerSchool by clicking on the Quicklinks in the left menu. Much of the content in these guides may also be used for self-quarantine students as a means of assuring their participation in class despite their physical absence.
If you have any further questions, please contact us. Under Risk Level 2, I will begin daily emails to the community updating you on status and our operational plan.
Looking forward to seeing you at earliest opportunity!