Author: jzurfluh

Looking forward to seeing those who have signed up this weekend. I’m looking forward to it and walking with my wife as a family team to honor and remember my father, Arthur P. Zurfluh, Jr. who we lost to his fight with cancer in 1995. I’ll be wearing a t-shirt that I had made for the opportunity and remember well his short fight with this terrible menace. I look forward to sharing this time with others, both survivors and those who have lost loved ones in an event of remembrance. As I suggested in my speech at graduation, looking forward to “putting the pieces back together.”

A huge thanks to Epixpert for their donation of testing for this event. They have been true partners this year and we very much appreciate their help in facilitating broader community involvement in this event under the circumstances. Please join me in thanking them as you get tested on Friday for the event. They are true friends and warriors!!

Testing Next Week

Speaking of testing, we’ve confirmed paid testing for the community next week on Thursday and Friday, June 10 and 11. Epixpert will be here 8a to 4p each day for pre-travel testing, both PCR and antigen. Please contact your airlines for details on what you need and the timeframe requirements. You can stop in on Monday through Wednesday and get forms in advance of Thursday or Friday in order to speed your processing on testing day. Again, thanks to Epixpert for these additional hours.

After next week, Epixpert will only be at School on Mondays from 8a to 11a each week, but still available for paid testing at these times. They will also be providing support for Summer School on those days.

Have a great long weekend!!

Dates/Events/Links

Below is a list of upcoming and end-of-year (EOY) events. I thought I’d provide this list and the live stream links where appropriate. Lots of important things to keep us engaged until the final day.

• May 28 – 9:30a – Senior Awards Assembly
• May 28 – 7:00p – Studniowka
• May 29 – Graduation
• June 2 – ASW Staff Social Gathering – Campus closed at 3:45p and until 8:00p.
• June 3-4 – NO SCHOOL – Corpus Christi Holiday
• June 4 – 12p to 12a – Relay for Life
• June 7 – 9:00a – Open House – Please share with your friends who might be considering coming to ASW.
• June 11 – 10:00a – Closing Assembly – We will have a closing assembly outdoors for all students together on the final day, complete with flag procession and live-streaming. We won’t be able to open this to all parents, but only to the population of cleared staff and adults currently on our roster.

There are probably more links below for specific grade levels or other divisional events. Our thanks to all the important involvement from all areas of the school to support these wide-ranging activities. In particular, it’s a very busy time for PTO and grade level reps as they bring many activities to a conclusion. Thank you for all that you do and thanks for the great general meeting last week!!

Yearbook

We are providing the yearbook again this year as a complimentary gift to all families. Every student will receive a yearbook according to the schedule of their divisional offices.

Parent Survey

Please remember to fill out your parent survey. Thank you to the early responders! You will continue to receive weekly reminders until you are done! Please only use the personal link sent to you. If you have any trouble accessing it, please contact us. Appreciate your attention to this important task!

Testing

As you know, we changed our testing frequency starting this week and scheduling has gone well. We’ll change the testing next week again because of our holiday. Next week will be a three-day schedule and we’ll follow the same schedule the following week. That means our last testing day will be June 9th.

We are now looking forward to transition from school year to summer and want to announce that testing for summer school and staff will start on Monday, June 14, and will be Mondays, 8a to 11a each week through the summer until August 2. Testing will remain in the main lobby for staff who continue to work during the summer and paid testing will remain available during these hours only for ASW Community members.

Travel

Based on a review of current regulations and stipulations of EU member states with our medical advice and after reflection with the Crisis Team, we will make one additional change for the remainder of the current academic year. We are aware of official status change in countries across the EU and did a comprehensive review on the European CDC site. Based on these reductions of restrictions, we will align and reduce the travel restrictions to only areas outside of the EU. The revised question and the guidance that follows will be implemented in the next 24-48 hours.

Question #5 – Travel
Have you or someone in your household traveled to areas outside of the EU or to areas identified as high risk? (Not applicable to fully vaccinated individuals.)

This question no longer includes travel within the EU and is primarily focused on the risk associated with larger populations.  Travel in a private vehicle or under controlled conditions is not the focus of the question and is not considered a risk in and of itself.  Risk exposure is still reported in question #6 and is of equal concern whether traveling or not. Remember, most children at school are not yet vaccinated and risk has to be assessed for that reason.

Further, this question also applies to visitors coming to your home if they have traveled to areas of risk.

Exclusion is 7-days and the app will inform you of your date for re-entry testing once you enter the date returned.  You may come to school for testing during your exclusion.  CDC guidelines recommend one test at 3-5 days after travel and a second test after at least 7 days. Government quarantines of longer periods will supersede ASW guidelines.

Excluded from consideration (answer “no”): Fully vaccinated or recovered individuals.

It’s time to launch our parent survey, as we do annually. Please watch your mailbox tonight for your personal invitation to our annual customer satisfaction survey. There are some changes, but here’s a summary for your awareness:

• We’ve simplified the survey so that each parent will only complete one survey for the entire family. Based on questions at the beginning, you will then fill out common questions followed by divisional questions and selected items based on the ages of your child(ren) at school. This means a more customized experience and only one survey to complete rather than filling out the entire survey from each child’s perspective. For some of the common questions, you will have to consider them from the whole family’s perspective and then add comments at the end where an individual child’s experience may have been different than the family average.
• We have added a section of questions on our COVID mitigation response.
• We’ve kept 80% of the rest of the survey the same to support year-on-year comparison. We removed one or two questions because they are no longer relevant and added some for similar reasons.

We are hopeful of your early attention to this task and would love to see a strong response rate. As in prior years, I will send periodic reminders to those who have not yet completed the survey until we close the survey in early July. We will compile the results and communicate them to the community in the Fall along with any related plans.

Thanks in advance for completing this important task!!

I wanted to include a message of thanks this week for all of our mothers out there. We celebrated Mother’s Day in the U.S. and many international places throughout the world last Sunday and Polish Mother’s Day is coming soon on May 26th. It means that a pause to share our praise and adoration of mom is necessary and appropriate. For me, it means preparing the traditional morning breakfast for my wife (all of her favorites), particularly now that we are “empty nesters” and must connect with our children virtually in distant corners of the globe. There was also some long distant communication with both our moms, one on the West Coast in the U.S. and the other in Guangzhou, China. In all of these conversations, it is always amazing the deep and profound memories of care and nurturing that emerge when considering the one who first brought us the breath of life and who is, legitimately one of the most important teachers in our lives.

For all of you thinking about mom during this time of year, and particularly as we approach graduation, and other life transitions, please keep in mind the following from an unknown source:

“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.”

I know that’s true for the moms in my life. Thank you to all the moms out there for your tireless efforts on behalf of your children. We love you all!!

COVID Mitigation Adjustments in the Coming Weeks

We have two adjustments coming to our protocol that were cleared by Crisis Team after recommendation by medical consultation this week. In light of the reduced trend in case numbers and other factors, these changes are warranted and consistent with additional changes that will be considered for our return to school in the Fall. We will share that plan with the community for comment and feedback while we continue to monitor conditions throughout the summer break.

The current announcements from the government along with our tracking of critical data has led us to the following two changes to be implemented as follows:

1. Starting Monday, May 17, mask-wearing in outdoor areas will no longer be required while remaining optional for those who prefer to continue wearing them outside. This includes free blocks, lunchtimes, and sporting activities. The government mandate on outdoor mask-wearing is being lifted on Saturday.
2. Starting Monday, May 24, the school will relax the testing frequency back to once per week testing. This is consistent with current community spread caseload reporting and the clear trend in reduced cases amongst the ASW Community. Testing schedules will be adjusted and communicated next week before implementation the following week. Test expiration will crease to 7-days from the current 5-day limit.

We’ll watch numbers next week and hope we remain on the same trend. If we need to adjust or pull back on these adjustments, we will. As I noted in the Weekly message, we still need to be cautious and maintain our safety bubble, so please don’t read this as allowing or encouraging risky activities. Further, please remember that all other restrictions in daily attestation and protocols at school remain in full force.

Cancelation of June 5th Culture of Giving Events

First, let me thank all of you who participated in our survey over the weekend. It took some time to process all of the information that you shared with us, and in the end, we decided that the better decision at this stage was to postpone our plan and begin work on it for the fall under hopefully better circumstances. The events on June 5th are now canceled.

The response was mixed and for the daytime event; we actually had about 50% that were either willing to or might have decided to join us for the activity. But, for the level of organizing required and out of deference to the conflicts of the long weekend, we decided it was simply not viable in the time we have remaining. I think we are all hopeful of a more capable return to activities of this nature after a summer of vaccination and additional information that will reassure our community and we look forward to your support for these!

Many thanks to those on the organizing committee and the members of PTO who helped to draft the plan and make initial arrangements. Their efforts have paved a path to our Fall events with capable preparations and contacts. Thank you!!

Relay for Life

We are still moving ahead with our student-run activity of Relay for Life benefit on June 4th. As in any Relay for Life, teams of 5-10 people will be walking the track, in celebration, honor, and memory of cancer survivors and those we have lost to this horrible disease. The event will look similar to the one that took place two years ago, in 2019, but in the circumstances that we have been put in due to COVID, we will run this activity under our managed protocols. Originally planned for only students, we are opening this activity to other members of the ASW Community to participate in this outdoor memorial event.

For the purpose of this event, Epixpert, our key partner, is donating onsite testing of all adults (parents) who would like to join us at this event. You will need to be tested once just prior to the start of the event and can leave and return to the event throughout. Students and staff will need to be OK4School green to participate, as would normally be the case.

The entrance fee per person is 75 zloty, and all money will be going to our beneficiaries, the oncology ward at a children’s hospital here in Warsaw. More details on the times and forming of teams will come in next week’s eNotes and through other messages. Please pencil in the day if you would like to join us. I’ll be there honoring my father who lost his battle with cancer in 1995 and will be remembering many friends and relatives who have faced this enemy over the years. It is an important time for reflection and fellowship. Get your walking shoes ready!!

A bit of a summary of current items:

Vaccination

At this stage, I’m only sending update messages for our two parent groups directly to them. But, to keep everyone in the loop, the following is our current status:

• For staff, second dose is on May 14, 12:00p to 4:00p. Communication on this is coming directly through staff channels tomorrow.
• For the 50+ group, your second dose is on May 14 starting at 4:00p at the main entrance. We’ll have additional doctors here, so the process should go relatively quickly.
• For the 40+ group, as communicated today, your first dose has been postponed to May 14, 6:00p to 8:00p. at ASW! Your second dose will be on June 18. Please look for a message sent to you earlier today for details.

We have also become aware that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is now becoming available here in Poland. I don’t know how to guide you on this, but please check with your medical provider for more details on availability. Otherwise, please return to the government website for guidance on scheduling other options.

Cookbook

The PTO Cookbook is noted below in the PTO section in eNotes. Don’t forget the ASW Foodies Facebook section as well. Details on the cookbook in eNotes.

PYPx

Please see the information in eNotes on PYPx for our Grade 5 students. One of our significant waypoints under the IB umbrella and worthy of your attention. Check out the Elementary section below. My regards to all of the students and their amazing work bringing agency and culmination to their learning!!

Corporate Sponsorship – One Immediate Item

Each year we receive grant funding from the U. S. Government to support various initiatives that are part of the State Department’s support of programs. This year, additional funding was provided for COVID-19 mitigation and we have reported on this to the board at various junctures as part of our overall mitigation funding. It is important to express publicly our thanks to the US Embassy for their ongoing support through these channels over multiple years.

I have a new project currently underway that is an extension of our mitigation program which is yielding positive results. As reported to the board in January, we have been piloting, with some of this grant funding, new air recirculation filters in selected classrooms and spaces throughout the school. When additional funding recently became available, we added to the number of units and expanded our pilot.

I’d like to expand this program faster/further and wondering if there are corporate entities that might consider grant funding associated with expanding our purchase of these units. If you represent a corporate entity or want to be a donor yourself, I’d be happy to speak with you about this interesting project to enhance health and well-being throughout the school. We have the product and have proven its capability. We have a budget already dedicated to spending on this project further over time. But, donations would help us accomplish our goals in this area faster and allow us to redirect committed resources to other necessary projects. If you are interested in discussing this and the potential branding opportunity, please reach out to me via director@aswarsaw.org. I’d be happy to discuss it with you.

Summer Camp

Please see the Summer Camp information in eNotes. We’ve had a great sign-up so far, but a few spaces are still available. Please scroll down in eNotes to hear about our program and find the links for signing up.

As some of you might have already noticed, we distributed posters around the school yesterday promoting our Culture of Giving Fundraising Event entitled “Art and Music Extravaganza” and scheduled for June 5, 2021.

Together with the active support of our PTO, we would like to tentatively plan for this live open-air event on the territory of ASW.  The final decision if a live event is feasible will be confirmed during the second week of May.  The decision to go ahead will depend on how to safely provide this for our community following the safety protocols that have been so successful at school. Factors to consider in order to proceed with the event involved community spread assessment, government guidelines and restrictions, school community parameters, current health advisors’ recommendations, and general feedback from ASW stakeholders.

If we decide against a live event, then we would still have an Art and Music Extravaganza Fundraising Event, but in an online format. Please rest assured that if we do decide to proceed with a live event, it will be orchestrated with the highest standard of personal safety and following all COVID-19 mitigation protocols.

One of the main aspects of the Art and Music Extravaganza Fundraising will be a silent auction of various art pieces.  So if you, a member of your family, or friends are artists, we encourage you to create and donate art for the auction.  As well, if you have a good piece of art at home that you are thinking of replacing, also, please consider donating it to this Fundraising Event. We are looking to auction paintings, photographs, ceramics, sculptures, and any other form of artistic expression. A portion of the proceeds from the silent auction will go towards supporting art and music education at an orphanage that ASW currently supports. Details on where art donations can be delivered will be communicated after the May holidays on the event website, accessible through the QR code found on the poster and here: https://www.aswarsaw.org/giving/events

This first Culture of Giving Fundraising Event will become an active part of our mission to be a community determined to “change the world for the better.”

Now that the restrictions on vaccination are opening up further, there is less ability to schedule vaccination on-site at ASW. Most agencies are limiting us to using their facilities and are setting up new facilities to accommodate the projected additional load.

Despite this, we will try to get another opportunity for vaccination her at ASW – one more before summer. This requires sign-up first, so here is the link for those who are interested. If we are able to arrange a date, we’ll send it to this group only for final registration once confirmed. Click HERE to register your interest in vaccination at ASW or as a group at the Vaxmed facility (see below) for 40+ age levels.

In regards to Vaxmed, our current partner, they have offered dedicated time blocks for the ASW Community in their new facility at Genera?a Kazimierza Sosnkowskiego 1C, about 30 minutes from here as groups. But, you can also arrange your own appointment with them through their website or via the government registration system.

Vaxmed
Vaccination point Wilanów – Branickiego 15 (but may be closing)
Vaccination point Ursus – Sosnkowskiego 1C
tel.: +48-881 221 433

Other medical entities with supply available have recently been suggested by other parents. Provided here for your reference. Some are a bit of travel from here, but they suggest that they have sufficient supply and are supporting 40+.

Revita Medical Center (requires government pre-registration, PESEL, and 40+)
ul Kombatantów 10A15-110 Bia?ystok
tel.: +48-733002717

PUNKT SZCZEPIE? POWSZECHNYCH W SIEMIATYCZACH (requires only name, surname, passport number or PESEL, 40+)
HALA WIDOWISKOWO-SPORTOWA
UL. ?WI?TOJA?SKA 25A, 17-300 SIEMIATYCZE
Phone: +48-856-552-860 (registration between 8am-3pm)

Some other notes:

• On May 10, registration will be opening for all 18+ (appointments 4-6 weeks afterward)
• All wanting vaccines should have access by August.

Also of note is that all numbers are continuing to trend downwards (hospitalizations, ventilator use, quarantine, % positivity). But, we are not out of the most recent wave yet and should remain cautious.

Board Election Announcement

We’re pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees certified the election results at their meeting on Monday. Welcome to our two new board members:

• Heather Rogers (US Seat) – VIDEO – FLYER
• Amila de Saram-Larssen (non-US Seat) – VIDEO – FLYER

Many thanks to all who put themselves forward as candidates and thank you to the 400+ ballots that were cast by the community!

New Staff Published

Pleased to announce that the new staff list for next year is now published on Zimplicity. Excited to be done with recruiting for next year and ready to welcome our newest Warriors in August!!

IB Decision for Poland

As many may be aware, the International Baccalaureate announced their decision yesterday to cancel final exams for our Grade 12 Diploma students, as they did last year. It was disappointing given our unique situation at ASW where we felt fully prepared to sit exams and provide that key opportunity for our students to demonstrate their acquired capabilities. After our meeting today with IB leadership, it has become clear that an exception to the country-wide declaration would not be approved.

I know that this decision has sown much discord in our senior class already. While we thank you for your input, the matter is now settled and it should be clear that our interest in pursuing all options was entirely focused on our role as advocates for ALL of our students and their best interests. We remain as such, your advocates, but now focused on the non-exam route and our energies will legitimately shift to making sure that all relevant evidence is ready to assure good outcomes for the class of 2021. We feel confident that we can achieve that for each of our students and the High School administration and faculty will work tirelessly in the coming days to make sure students understand all elements of the process going forward. Our advantage lies in the good work that has been accomplished this year in classrooms and the degree to which our teachers have a solid grasp on student performance and capabilities. Faculty work in the coming days will be challenging and I want to thank them all for their diligence in advance! More information will come directly from the High School in the coming days. Stay strong and united in your final days now that the decision is made.

Other Notes

We are back in school and heading into the final stretch of our school year, which now ends on June 11. Many things ahead that we are hoping to master in the time remaining, not the least of which is closure on major learning activities culminating in the coming weeks.

A shout out to our Grade 10 students who are in the final stages of their Personal Project. This is a critical waypoint of their learning journey before moving into the Diploma Programme. I’m hopeful that they have found this experience rewarding and they wrapped their learning around a cross-disciplinary approach. We should also remember the cadre of mentors who stepped up to provide guidance along the way. It has been a journey, to say the least. For most, the deeper insight into their thinking will yield an important foundation for more advanced pursuits starting next year. PYPx is also on the horizon for our Grade 5 students, an equally important milestone in the IB journey before progressing into the MYP.

We should also mention Faculty and Staff Appreciation coming next week. PTO is planning some important activities to show our appreciation in a unique way. As always, their creative talents and energy are in full gear and please see their message below asking for your help.

So, it’s been a challenging stretch here at the end before going into the Spring break. This is the first time we have scheduled this break at this time of year in a while and our adjustments back in October moved our professional development day, originally scheduled on Friday, to early March as part of adjusting our calendar for post-February-break testing. Spring break is similar with the rescheduling of parent conferences on the two days following this vacation.

As we move into virtual mode, you have three tasks in the coming week:

• First, you need to schedule a conference appointment for each child in the normal way. You’ll find a link for this in PowerSchool – “Spring Conferences, 12-13 April 2021 Sign up” – You should find this similar to the Fall scheduling and you’ll need to make appointments for each child in your family by switching between children (upper left) and proceeding to the link. Conferences will be held via Zoom.

• Second, you need to schedule ONE family appointment for post-break testing. Since you will bring all kids in together for a single time slot. The purpose of the testing schedule is simply to reduce lines and make sure we optimize the two days. We will have two lines set up in the main lobby for this purpose. No one will need to wait for results and, as normal, we will contact you if you need to come back for testing due to a positive pool.

• Third, we need everyone to complete their enrollment contract in PowerSchool. Many of you are done with this task already (Thank you!!), but we are hoping to get the rest of our returning families completed by the time we return from the break or shortly thereafter.

Thank you for making sure we have these tasks completed as soon as possible and accept our appreciation for your diligence.

Finally, and relative to our announcement earlier today that we would move into virtual mode for the next two days, we want everyone to understand the importance of maintaining our virtual schedule for the next two days and assuring that we have good control of our equipment and participating in all activities. In many ways, this is also a valuable opportunity to practice our use of the virtual experience to the best of our ability. High School simply had a head start and we can now follow their example.

I know that much rests on parents when we move into virtual mode and we want to thank you in advance for your partnership. We know that significant responsibility shifts to you when we flip this switch and we are hopeful again of your engagement. Please keep the momentum for a couple of days. I believe our virtual time will be short and confident of better conditions on the horizon so we can return to school. We’ve done very well together and should all be proud of what we have accomplished.

I wish you a special Easter and a pleasant, safe, and healthy break!!

Lots happening right now as we move into the more busy time of spring. Please see the items below.

Board Election

Today (Wednesday) you will receive your personalized ballot for ASW Board of Trustee Elections.  As a reminder, here are our candidates:

• Heather Rogers (US Seat) – VIDEO – FLYER
• Sachin Dua (non-US Seat) – VIDEO – FLYER
• Amila de Saram-Larssen (non-US Seat) – VIDEO – FLYER

Ms. Rogers will be running unopposed, whereas Ms. de Saram-Larssen and Mr. Dua will compete for the available non-US citizen seat.  Your ballot will include a personalized link that can only be used by you.  An invite will be sent to all parents registered in our system at your registered email.  Please contact us at director@aswarsaw.org if you do not receive your ballot in the next 24-hours.  You will receive reminders until you cast your ballot and click on submit.  The voting closes at midnight on March 31 and the results will be certified by the board at their regular meeting on April 19.

Board Decision on Calendar

Please see the letter sent earlier today. You can also access it here: https://aswboard.ongoodbits.com/

Based on that letter and decision, the revised 2020-2021 calendar will be posted on our website later this week and you’ll find it here: https://www.aswarsaw.org/about-us/calendar

Community Vaccination Update

We have updated the form for community vaccination under the criteria previously stated. Recently announced decisions have expanded the eligibility down to age 60+. We are now scheduling a date and will follow-up for confirmation of your intent for that date and time, along with details. If you want to take advantage of vaccination under this collaboration with Jutro Medical, you must sign-up by tomorrow, Thursday, March 25 so that we can confirm the time and date at school for Jutro to come. We have enough interest to offer this date, but advance commitments will be required. This vaccination is offered to the ASW Community as a service to ASW members and close family. You can also signup on the government-provided website and through other providers under the same parameters. We’ll continue to assess how much vaccination opportunity we will provide onsite at ASW as vaccine distribution continues. Our form is here:

• https://forms.gle/J8B9usmUqjXsdXxR6

Enrollment Agreement

To those who have completed their seat deposit and are continuing their enrollment at the American School of Warsaw, we thank you!  As noted in the  Board Chairman’s letter sent to parents on February 19, 2021, Student Enrollment Agreements have been updated to reflect current regulations such as new data protection laws and other policy updates.  All returning students will now need to sign a new Student Enrollment Agreement in order to continue into the 2021-22 school year.  New students for next year have already started that process using the revised agreement. We are now able to do this process electronically!!

The links below will guide you in signing the agreement through your Powerschool account.

• Click here to view an instructional video guide. 
• Click here to sign in to PowerSchool to access the Enrollment Contract link on the sidebar.

We are asking you to sign your new agreement before April 30, 2021.  It is best to use a computer rather than a mobile device for this task.  You will need your passport or dowod osobisty number handy for entering it into the contract form. You’ll also need access to your registered email account for the required verification process.

Should you have any questions please contact us at businessoffice@aswarsaw.org.

Lots happening in this edition of eNotes. As you can see below, we have a High School play this week and the excitement is palpable. There is an audience (students only and proper distancing), but the thrill of still being able to perform and follow-through on this activity has been tremendously rewarding, both for the students and the staff involved. I keep running into Ms. Bechdoldt and she is literally walking on clouds.

We also are launching the Precious Plastics project via Town Hall tonight and excited that their new grant-funded facility is up and running across from the High School and Middle School entrance next to our maintenance department and greenhouse. Take a look – lots of windows so you can see their progress as they initiate this onsite recycling of plastics. The ideas are brewing and you’ll see more as they start ramping up to production mode.

Adult Vaccination

Currently, registration is open for some categories of chronically ill individuals for vaccination.   Only narrow categories are included, so please check HERE to see if you qualify.  You can register on the government website and they will contact you with reservations at authorized sites.

In addition, we can also start arranging with Jutro Medical for onsite vaccination of the above and the additional group of age 67+, closely followed next week by 65+ general public vaccination.  Jutro Medical will arrange for onsite delivery if we have sufficient interest.  If you are interested in onsite vaccination at ASW in the evening or on the weekends here at school, we are ready to arrange it. (Please – only these categories are being scheduled at this time. Other groups/ages will have a new form when they are authorized.)

To show your interest, we have a form prepared here that also includes additional information:

https://forms.gle/QVN8w8fFtkYpm5u57

Fill this out once for each person who wishes to get vaccinated.  You can submit multiple entries. Please complete by Monday (March 22, 2021) and we will contact you on the scheduling of a date. You will then be asked to confirm your reservation.

Each year at about this same time, we ask current families to extend their commitment to ASW in the form of a non-refundable seat deposit for the next academic year. This year, more than any other, it constitutes a critical reflection on how well we have served you in order to hold your trust, validated by extending your time in our midst. It is also a reflection of our continued commitment to you to continue the work that we do to keep the school open, keeping learning engaged and relevant to the hopes and dreams of our students despite the crisis we have all confronted. While there are costs associated with this journey, it is much more than a fee and a contract, but more about a relationship and a bond with a commitment to getting through this together.

Friday, March 12, is your deadline for that seat deposit. We have many applications across all grade levels that we are considering now, including placing a hold on some because we are already full at selected grade levels. The non-refundable deposit is the only way to secure your place for next year, which until Friday is guaranteed. Invoices remain available in PowerSchool.

We are also asking for your support as agents of our community to share the good news of what we have accomplished with others in the area who may be interested in joining us. At some grade levels, space is available and the message should be: “Apply soon in order to get an available space!” We rely on your positive reflections on ASW that makes all of you the best ambassadors for our school. For your support in this way, now and in the future, accept our earnest gratitude.

Last chance – Board appointment/election

This is your final reminder that the BoT is seeking candidates for Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who are willing to begin serving in the 2021-2022 school year. This process, overseen by the BoT Governance Committee, is in the final stages for both applications for appointment and nominations for election through a unified form. The link to our form is here:

https://forms.gle/Z2CT7ZWBL9qqqqzd9

We need your responses TODAY!

You can find more information about the BoT, including the composition of the board and qualifications at the following:

https://www.aswarsaw.org/community/board-of-trustees

It’s always a wild ride between February break and the end of school and this year will be no different despite our circumstances. With the announcement of vaccination for teachers yesterday, we are thinking cautiously about our plans for what comes next.

For the moment, do not expect much change in our practices or protocols. But, last Fall I predicted that the introduction of protections for staff would allow us to focus even more on student health and safety given a layer of protection for staff. Protection from a vaccine is not quick, so we have weeks ahead of us with continued diligence, but we are in a flow now.

We will continue looking at the calendar issues for the remainder of this year that have been raised and assess the data from all stakeholder groups that we are still gathering. It’s a challenging issue with diverse opinions, but I trust the administration and ultimately the board to give it due diligence.

We are enjoying some better weather after our snowfall before the break, but I hasten to warn that Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow on February 2nd and thus, we should expect additional weeks of winter. I’m sure some other almanacs and prognosticators might refute his prediction, but my Kindergarteners from decades past would have happily debated that with you. Their belief in Phil was unshakeable. Dress warm and keep the hot chocolate handy!

Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at the Town Hall. Not too many questions, but happy to have everyone with us for this time together.

Follow-up from before break…

Before the break, I announced that our long-time maintenance staff member, Grzegorz Oleksiak, passed after a long-fought illness. The services for him took place on Monday and a contingent of ASW staff, friends, and family attended. The school sent flowers on behalf of the entire ASW community. A memory book is still being prepared. If you have a contribution you would like us to add, please direct it to my office at director@aswarsaw.org.

The family has asked that we direct all donations to the Mazovian Oncological Hospital in Wieliszew that provided care to Grzegorz during his final days.  In order to facilitate a school-based donation, you may make contributions to a fund by using the following transfer information. Once all donations are collected the school will forward it to the Hospital in his name from the ASW Community. We will accept donations until March 20.

Please put in detail of the payment – “DONATION – GRZEGORZ” :

To: American School of Warsaw
SANTANDER Bank Polska S.A.
Al. Jana Pawla II 17, 00-854 Warszawa

Account #: PL55 1090 1056 0000 0001 4267 6549
BIC (SWIFT) WBKPPLPPXXX

I regret to inform you that we received word this morning that we lost Grzegorz Oleksiak (Maintenance frontman since 1998) to a long-term illness that started last February.  Grzegorz, who had continued working until school opening in the Fall was recently moved to hospice care and passed peacefully this morning.  Staff members had been in touch with him yesterday and a care package was being gathered as a Valentine’s Day gift.  It had not yet been delivered.

Grzegorz has been ill for a long period of time and medical treatment was elusive during the last year because of the pandemic. He was a kind and gentle man, dedicated to the school, visible in many activities, and a keen supporter behind the scenes of all aspects of our facility and systems.  He cared about all of us, serving our needs, and was the cornerstone of the maintenance team over his 20+ years of service.

Grzegorz is survived by a daughter, two grandchildren, a brother, and his father.  We will inform the community regarding the final arrangements when we know more.  Please join me in keeping family, co-workers, and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this time of significant loss.

The Plan for Next Week

The plans for re-entry drive-through testing are completed for next week and the system is ready in PowerSchool to take your appointment scheduling starting at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. Please log in to Power School and look for the usual icon. Schedule ONE appointment for the family when we will only test your children at that appointment. You will not need to wait for results, so with the wait time, we expect it will take each family about 5 minutes. Testing as follows:

• Testing is available on Saturday the 27th of February, Sunday the 28th of February, and Monday the 1st of March
• Please Note on Saturday and Sunday there is only one testing station available and on Monday there are 3 testing stations available.

For instructions on how to make an appointment here is a short Video.

Following the re-entry testing, we will return to the schedule with a slightly modified approach. Elementary will change to a Tuesday/Thursday, Wednesday/Friday schedule. The only exception is that students scheduled on Tuesday who tested on Monday will be excused. We’ll provide lists for teachers to manage this. For Upper School, students who test on Monday with their families will be excused from testing on Tuesday. The rest of the Upper School cohort will test on Tuesday. Upper School will return to its regular schedule on Thursday and Friday. By the end of the week, we’ll be back on a regular schedule.

Remember that travel exclusion is 7-days from the date you return home. You may still come in for testing while on this 7-day exclusion. Answer “Yes” to question #5 and enter the date you returned. The app will inform you of the date to return to school (with re-entry testing).

A reminder that students on hybrid or returning from travel may still follow their testing protocol during their exclusion. Just write to aswhealth@aswarsaw.org to notify us if you are coming for testing under these circumstances. Epixpert will be here all week during the break for staff and special needs on Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Staff may also come at any time on Monday.

Have a wonderful break and use this time to renew and rejuvenate before we enter into the Spring stretch!

Reminders:

• Application to join the Board of Trustees: https://forms.gle/Z2CT7ZWBL9qqqqzd9
• Sign-up to join Aspiring Board Member Training: https://goo.gl/forms/cfjli5MvNnwzNiNs2
• Information about the Board of Trustees for ASW: https://www.aswarsaw.org/community/board-of-trustees

The Board of Trustees (BoT) has been busy and many items of both operational and strategic work are in progress as we prepare for our next meeting on the coming Monday. More details on the meeting will come out on Friday as usual, but please reserve 6:00p on Monday, February 15 for the next virtual meeting. It has been both a challenging and rewarding year as they have taken on the challenges of a global pandemic and the school’s aggressive posture to keep school open under the most difficult of circumstances. But, opportunity now exists for you to potentially participate in this noble work on behalf of all the students we protect and serve.

Similar to last year, the BoT is seeking candidates for Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who are willing to begin serving in the 2021-2022 school year. This process, overseen by the BoT Governance Committee, begins now with a call for both applications for appointment and nominations for election through a unified form. The link to our form is here:

https://forms.gle/Z2CT7ZWBL9qqqqzd9

You can find more information about the BoT, including the composition of the board and qualifications at the following link:

https://www.aswarsaw.org/community/board-of-trustees

New and Aspiring Board Member Training

A reminder to mark your calendars for the second session this year of the New and Aspiring Board Member training.  Like last year, I’ll be leading session on School and non-profit board membership. If you have an interest in a position on the ASW board, as a leader in PTO, or if you are looking to serve on other boards in the future, this training will help provide some of the key understandings associated with good governance in a non-profit setting.  The content of this training has been expanded to also include insights into ASW specifically.  We’ll explore selected ASW Board documents and will give some insight into ASW structures and policy.  Our first session will take place as follows:

Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

If you would like to participate, you can sign up by clicking here:  https://goo.gl/forms/cfjli5MvNnwzNiNs2

Culture of Giving Project

To further develop our school and our community, and in keeping with what other international educational institutions are doing around the world, we are embarking on a Culture of Giving Project that was first adopted by the board last spring.  The plan for this initiative was developed as a strategic project for our school.  Due to its importance, regardless of the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic, we have decided to proceed with launching this Culture of Giving Project, albeit on a smaller scale this year than originally envisioned.

ASW has a long tradition of giving and supporting those less fortunate through our various Service Learning initiatives and PTO events.  Our Culture of Giving will build on this tradition and assist us in firmly embedding various avenues of giving and receiving within the whole of the ASW community.  As part of the Culture of Giving, we will be focusing on strengthening the relationship with our Alumni, building partnerships with the wider business community, establishing scholarships and grants, organising fundraising events, and actively promoting our Service Learning activities. Before the end of this school year, the full breath of the Culture of Giving initiatives will be included on our renovated website. And as we move along, I will be providing you with regular updates on how we are progressing with establishing a Culture of Giving at ASW.

We are certain that by actively supporting the Culture of Giving at ASW, we will help to grow and develop our current students, and create a stable foundation for our school to thrive financially and academically in the years to come.