Seeking Board Members!!

Reprise of an important item from last week…

Similar to last year, the BoT is seeking candidates for Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who will begin serving in the 2020-2021 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 completed by April 17, 2020. The link to our form is here:

https://forms.gle/FTP4PVoh4Twkf3w39

The Board is currently seeking community members with experience in fields like human resources, fundraising, development, and strategic planning. We are also seeking members with strong social networks within both ASW and our host community. Most importantly, the BoT needs parents who are committed to the values, mission, and vision of our community and the long-term wellbeing of our school and its students.

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

Thanks to those who participated in our event last Friday. If you have any question regarding the board or the process, please feel free to contact me.

It is my pleasure to announce that we have completed our process to select our new Elementary Principal starting in the 2020-2021 school year. It was an extended process with involvement from various stakeholder groups and facilitated by a Search Committee of 12 dedicated staff members. We want to also thank the students, parents, and staff members involved in the various stakeholder groups that met with and provided feedback about all of our candidates. We had 6 finalists out of a candidate pool of over 70 applicants. Today, we are pleased to introduce you to …

Jay Michael Fladager

Jay will be coming to us with a wonderful set of credentials from a broad range of experiences in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.  All who met with him from our various stakeholder groups admired his kind spirit and genuine nature.  Equally, his wife Kira and son, Cale, are very excited to join us after their wonderful visit along with Jay a short few weeks ago.  From Jay’s personal statement for the committee:

As a school administrator for the past fifteen years I have been responsible for all aspects of motivating and leading a team of educators and support staff for value-added gains in student achievement, community engagement, innovation and improvement.

ASW has a wonderful reputation as a school that embraces student’s learning potential and prepares them for future success. I have long believed that the key to high achievement, independent, engaged self-motivated learners and workforce readiness is to personalize the education experience to our learners. This includes knowing our children as both people and students and therefore understanding their passions, skills and personal goals.

You can review Jay’s resume and introductory poster for more information. I know you will all join me in welcoming the Fladager family as our latest Warriors!

Seeking Board Members!!

Similar to last year, the BoT is seeking candidates for Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who will begin serving in the 2020-2021 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 completed by April 17, 2020. The link to our form is here:

https://forms.gle/FTP4PVoh4Twkf3w39

The Board is currently seeking community members with experience in fields like human resources, fundraising, development, and strategic planning. We are also seeking members with strong social networks within both ASW and our host community. Most importantly, the BoT needs parents who are committed to the values, mission, and vision of our community and the long-term wellbeing of our school and its students.

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

Finally, we are opening a virtual Q&A session on Zoom with board members standing by to tell you more about board work and share insights into their role. Please try to join us on Friday at 6:00 p.m. in a Zoom open session for all who would like to find out more.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/401798225
Meeting ID: 401 798 225

Looking forward to responding to your questions tonight on our Facebook Live event. Excited to be with you again. I have results from your first weekly survey to review, updates on programs and plenty of time for your messages. Head to the ASW Parents Group on Facebook. The recording of tonight’s session will be available on Zimplicity Director’s Desk tomorrow.

While there have been some glitches and we are testing the boundaries of bandwidth, there seems to be a positive vibe in the air over Virtual School and the great things that are happening. The picture at the right is Mrs. Z being “balanced” with her online 1st graders and it’s quite amazing how kids are embracing this and finding ways to be “balanced” at home while they are learning. I know some have reflected on the concerns over screen time and we are working with the kids to assess and adjust along the way. But, we started with the idea of balance and had advice to them at the outset of finding time to take breaks and keep the flow of their learning.

But, we had an advantage going into this with our core values and our IB framework – both have lent themselves brilliantly to supporting an online program that still values the child-ness of it all. We can be online, but online in a good way. We can increase some screen time, because it is good screen time and because parents are partnering with us to manage it effectively.

As the days go on, we are also shifting our teaching craft to this medium. More and more instructional creativity is emerging and we are adding layers of competency to our base stack of skills. As we spend more time here, we will continue to grow our practice, work out the pinch points, and increase the stability of delivery. Right now, we have some training wheels on with support all around. But, we are about to find that moment where we catch ourselves balanced and pretty soon we’ll be done with the training wheels and taking them off.

Like your kids, teachers are working very hard right now. They are exhausted each night, but enthusiastic because students and families are stepping up so wonderfully. Thank you for all you do to support and encourage each other along the way. We are in the long march now, Warriors all, until the battle is won!!! #lifesolation

I shared the news of our coming transition with a wonderful crowd of Middle schoolers in the auditorium earlier today and then with High School before departure. I noted that we are not really “closing” school, as that would be devastating and frustrating for all of us. “Losing” something we all hold so dear is not the message we want to convey. Instead, I suggested that we would “transition” to virtual school and that I needed their help to make it work (and to avoid adding days to the calendar in June).

We are ready!! Kids will get important transitional information over the next two days in our protected environment and we’ll make a smooth transition to our virtual environment starting on Monday.

POWERSCHOOL – this is the key and we need parents logging into PowerSchool now and as we approach Monday. Each division and teacher of the school will be dedicated to this approach and PowerSchool serves as our anchor to other connections and services. You already know this for things like invoices and nursing services. But, now it becomes even more important and the interface, including the landing page, will change shortly to bring you directly into Virtual School. We will support and defend educational continuity through these efforts, knowing that the parent partnership is key to success. Please look for the messages to you in helping your child make this transition and work with them to muster the materials and resources needed to continue their learning in this format. We’ll all get through this together!!

Remember that social distancing requires that you stay away from gatherings of any size and that you keep close to home during this two week period. If we are hopeful of success at stemming the tide of this virus, we must all be good citizens and remember the stipulations of grouping and gathering. We’ll keep the lights on at school and will have staff at school each day. You will not be able to access the campus during this closure, but we’ll do our best to cover phones and address your concerns.

Dear Members of the ASW Community (students 6-12, parents, staff),

As you are all aware, a directive from the Polish government was declared this morning in a press conference stating that schools in Poland should close as of Monday, March 16.  The declaration noted a transitional period for Thursday and Friday where schools could remain open in order to support parents in arranging care.  For the public schools, this means coverage of students, but not providing lessons.  Our quick survey of private schools found that some intend to stay in session and follow the government directive for full closure starting on Monday.  As a result of this announcement, the Crisis Team met immediately to discuss our options under the government announced plan.

The Crisis Team has made their recommendation to the Board of Trustees and they have confirmed our opinion that school should remain open for Thursday and Friday to finalize plans for virtual schooling and that virtual schooling will commence, as planned in virtual format starting on Monday, March 16, and will continue in that format for the specified two weeks of time until school re-opens on March 30.  Since we had already planned to move into virtual schooling for a single day, our plan just shifts to be a two-week virtual school rather than a single day.

Currently, according to our risk matrix, we would not have independently made a decision to close because of the lack of factors affecting our community and on the evidence currently available.  We do not have a case of the virus in the ASW community and we have taken steps to protect our community, which has largely been successful.
But, we also understand the prudence of the government in supporting a broader level of concern and their steps to control this outbreak are measured by the actions of other countries around us.  We should be clear that this effort of creating “social distance” is a typical and proven strategy.  But, it is important to pay attention to the other elements of social distancing and we would recommend, like the government, that all families and students remain isolated in their homes and avoid gathering outside of school.  In reality, not doing so could put the school at greater risk when we return on the 30th by increasing exposure to a wider community. So, please avoid allowing students any degree of freedom to gather in groups outside of school.  By all reports from China and other parts of the world, this is challenging and you need to plan for it now before the transition begins on the weekend.

Bottom Line: ASW will shifts to virtual school starting on Monday, March 16 and will remain in virtual school until schools re-open on March 30.  Starting Monday, March 16, all activities and planned events are canceled as well.

The school remains open on Thursday and Friday with normal classes, all planned activities, and necessary preparation for our transition.  We understand that some parents will choose to keep their children home on Thursday and Friday.  Students absent on Thursday and Friday will have no absence penalty but will start in the hybrid program with our self-contained students until the virtual school opens on Monday. 
Communication will continue daily and we will go forward with the Facebook Live event tonight as previously planned.  Look for eNotes tonight for more information on virtual schooling. Login to PowerSchool and make sure of your access to both PowerSchool and SeeSaw (for elementary).  I’ve spoken with kids in the Upper School today at both a Middle School Assembly and High School Assembly.
Thank you all for your continued support and for the messages this morning giving me information and insight into your thinking.  I look forward to continuing the dialog tonight (click below):

Best Regards,

Mr. Z

Just some images gathered by our cleaning staff today as additional orders arrived:

More pictures coming soon…

It’s that time of year when we get into the pace of the final stretch. The distractions around us notwithstanding, we are taking on the challenge of a packed agenda. I’ve sent separate messages on Elementary Principal Search and looking forward to our time with candidates. Many other school-based projects in process and a wonderful professional development day with faculty and staff on Monday earlier this week. The time and focus were good, at a critical juncture.

In addition, we are also building towards Arts Week next week and have a wonderful project in process in our cafeteria! From our wonderful arts team:

Visiting artist: Kate Deccicio, March 3-6 

If you’re wondering what our ASW students are working on behind those blue bulletin boards in the cafeteria, make sure to join us for the official unveiling at 1 pm on Friday, March 13th! Working in close collaboration with our inspiring visiting artist and activist Kate DeCiccio, our upper school art students have been living the statement of inquiry from their current unit; Activism in art can push boundaries, transform narratives, and inspire change. The completed mural will include the work of students in all divisions, will connect firmly to our school values and mission, and the design will highlight students’ belief that the way nature is represented and presented in art can be a vehicle for change. Please join us next Friday, May 13th at 1 pm!

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:

Country List for Self-Quarantine

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:

COVID-19 FAQ

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!

This message is being sent to the entire ASW community along with an SMS message and Zimplicity post to assure that all are aware of the enclosed stipulations before returning to school next week.

In response to the increased concerns in countries surrounding Poland and as a result of the increased risk associated with travel during the break, the following is being implemented as we move to a limited Risk Level 2 on our Crisis Management Matrix.

• By directive from CEESA, all student events have been canceled through May 1, 2020, due to the current and unpredictable risks associated with travel, border crossing, and inspections that traveling groups might face at destinations and while traveling.  Many countries are implementing strict standards associated with student travel and gatherings even if borders generally remain open.  CEESA’s letter to the region is attached to this message.  
• For ASW, this stipulation will also mean cancelation of all other student travel, including most planned local or regional field trips.
• Adult staff travel for Professional Development will be assessed and approved on a case-by-case basis.

Locally, the following is requested and will be required from all families:

• Staff, students, or family members who have traveled to the CDC identified Level 2 or 3 areas will be required to stay home to self-quarantine and monitor symptoms for 14 days from the date of return to Warsaw.  The current list includes: China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy (north of Pisa).
• Students and/or parents should contact their teachers after Monday, March 2 to plan for classwork during this exclusion period.  More advice on staying involved in classwork will come next week when staff members have returned and better able to respond.  Reminder: school resumes on Tuesday, March 3.

School procedures according to our risk matrix include the following (some continued from before):

• We will continue to interview and provide limited access to the campus for all registered visitors, including during our open house on Thursday, March 5. This is for registered visitors only and not open to the general public.
• School programs, including after school activities will continue without interruption.
• All other regularly scheduled activities will continue as planned other than those excluded above.
• Selected trips scheduled within Poland will be evaluated and determined on a case-by-case basis, informing parents of status at the earliest opportunity.
• The ASW and CEESA Crisis teams will meet weekly going forward to assess and provide guidance on the regional situation.
• All events at school will be restricted to parents, staff, and students only.
• As per prior advice, parents should not send students to school with symptoms.  See: https://zimplicity.org/2020/01/29/coronavirus-outbreak/

We are very much aware of concerns developing throughout Europe and the bombardment of media reports, some accurate and many wildly inaccurate.  Please remember we measure our actions with a maximum degree of balance and objectivity, using reliable sources. Also, there are still no confirmed cases in Poland and we are hopeful of retaining that status.

We should also be concerned about the social/emotional effect of this situation on ourselves and our children.  Earlier this week, I posted a document shared by the ISCA (International School Counselors Association) to help in taking care of your children during this period.  Please read it here: https://zimplicity.org/2020/02/24/notes-during-the-break/

Please remain calm during this difficult juncture.  We may have many more families affected by this current action.  It is impossible for us to know all family travel plans, so this current level of action requires that families follow our stipulations on their own to protect and assure the safety of our community.  We’ve already faced this once and it was admirable that three families went to great lengths to protect the school by maintaining their self-quarantine.  Their messages were positive and encouraging throughout and speak to the character and quality of the ASW Warrior family.  If you have any questions, please write to me.  I’ll do my best to respond.  You can post comments on Zimplicity for the community to share and I’ll answer questions publicly there as well.

Stay well and, if you are out of Warsaw, we wish you a safe return.

Additional note: Absences will be excused as long as students maintain contact with teachers, complete assigned work, and maintain academic standing.

Another note: While we tried to secure access based on the suggestion of a parent, hospitals are no longer allowing elective testing for COVID-19. You can only be tested if you are demonstrating symptoms.

Our primary sources remain:

CDC Alert Level – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

WHO Situation Reports – https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

COVID-19 Situation Report for European Region – http://who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ead3c6475654481ca51c248d52ab9c61

Johns Hopkins Interactive Map – https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

There won’t be an edition of eNotes this week, but I’m putting a post here with advice from the ISCA (International School Counseling Association). Given the latest news reports and additional issues associated with exaggeration and fear, this might help around the house or while traveling to be sensitive to the needs of your children during the escalating tensions, particularly with the reports now emerging in Italy. I offer this as fodder for your due consideration while school is closed for the vacation and in hopes it will help to calm fears when we return next week.

From ISCA:

The coronavirus (now officially named COVID-19) has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and uncertainty around this can bring about fear and worry with our students. It is important to remember our children are looking towards us for reassurance and cues on how to react and respond.

Five strategies to build resilience, and have reassuring conversations with kids are:

1. Stay Positive : Remember to keep calm. If you show anxiety or fear, your child will pick up on this and also feel nervous and afraid. Changes to the environment and routines can create unease. Having calm, panic-free discussions can ease emotions around these changes. Check-in on how your child is feeling and acknowledge and address their worries rather than ignore them.
2. Stick to the facts: It is important to have thoughtful conversations regarding the coronavirus to distil anxiety, worry or fear. Look at the facts. Consider your child’s age, processing, and emotions to determine how to frame these conversations to ensure your child understands. Let them know that Singapore is doing everything they can and you are up to date on current information. If they have additional questions you can look to find the answers. Check-in on what your child is thinking and address their worries. Discuss that not everything they hear or see is real. It can also be comforting to be reminded that doctors around the world are looking for ways to address the coronavirus and highlight positive news as well (eg. 15 people have recovered and been discharged in Singapore).
3. Consider Media Consumption: When looking online, consider the source and fact-check to prevent fake news, and think before you share. Be mindful of how much media you are checking and minimize how often you are reading stories. Try to keep a healthy balance (both online and offline) in your daily routines and lifestyle.
4. Eliminate stigma: It is important to be aware of how the coronavirus is explained to your children to avoid any person/group being blamed. Also to communicate that if someone has a fever or cough does not mean this person has the coronavirus.
5. Boost Your Coping Strategies: When anyone has change or uncertainty this can create some levels of worry or anxiety. When this occurs, it is important to use positive coping strategies to manage those emotions. As every person is different, so too are our coping strategies. Regardless, it is important to practice positive strategies to calm down or modify our thinking to improve our outlook and overall well-being. Coping strategies can include: positive self-talk, singing, dancing, reading, drawing, music, Netflix/movies, create a gratitude list, meditation, yoga, coloring, exercise, cooking/baking, talking to a friend or family member, or doing other activities that are fun or give you joy and make you feel good.

If you notice your child is still worried or anxious, be assured that this is a normal reaction, and continue conversations while providing care for your child. If you find that additional support is needed, please reach out to one of our counselors who can refer you to outside counseling or to schedule time with you or your child to make a plan on how to support them during this time.

Our primary sources remain:

CDC Alert Level – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html

WHO Situation Reports – https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

Johns Hopkins Interactive Map – https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

It was a wonderful day today as we welcomed our Living History participants and I was able to again offer a greeting this morning. As always, I watched students go off to hear stories from true participants in events of the distant past. Bringing these stories to life each year is an important part of the ASW culture, looking back to look forward. I walked around a bit and watched students in rapt attention as these golden warriors shared their experiences of challenge, despair, and salvation with our students.

A big thank you to our wonderful organizers, teachers, translators, and volunteers for a job well done. And the students looked pretty good dressed up for the day, too!! Way to go 8th grade!!

Board Training and Elections/Appointment reminder

In case you missed the email, Greg Liddle’s Board Chair letter is HERE!

Board Training:

Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

If you would like to participate, you can sign up by clicking here: 

https://goo.gl/forms/cfjli5MvNnwzNiNs2

In both prior eNotes and the board chair’s letter, the call for both applications for appointment and nominations for election is open and available. The link to that form is here:

https://goo.gl/forms/3Vg4LemowAyfBTNA3

The Board is currently seeking community members with experience in fields like human resources, fundraising, development, and strategic planning. We are also seeking members with strong social networks within both ASW and our host community.

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

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

Project Nest

The project nest remains open until March 20th. Please get your ideas on the wall. No idea is too small or too big. Start with “What if we…” and complete the thought. Examples: What if we could find more time to learn about basic life skills like balancing a checkbook or changing a tire? What if we could change the schedule to allow more options for collaborative groups? What if we could build a rocket ship to take us all to Mars for a visit?

All your ideas are welcome and encouraged!

Last Chance on Parking Permits

Stop by the security desk and get your parking permit. Then proudly make sure it is displayed somewhere behind the front windshield so that it is visible at all times while your car is on campus. After the February break – No Permit, No Entrance!!

Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Update

No significant update other than we continue to watch the status through the updates by John Hopkins University, WHO, and the CDC. The numbers increased significantly in recent days on one chart, but not due to additional cases, but instead because of a change in the criteria for counting.

Athletic Travel and Hosting Safety

A reminder – Both CEESA and SCIS have agreed to abide by our restrictions that are now adopted in all CEESA schools. This means that all coaches, athletic directors and activity directors have been informed that they must assure us that all members of the visiting team comply with the following:

• No community member within a family or a student will be allowed to participate if they have traveled to China within the last 14 days
• No group member will be allowed to participate if they have had contact with anyone having an elevated risk of exposure to the 2019-nCoV in the past 14 days
• No group member will be allowed to participate if they show symptoms of any respiratory illness.

For our upcoming hosting of the CEESA MS/HS Swim Meet, all arriving schools will be checked for compliance with the above standards. All CEESA schools recognize the implications of safety and security for all our students and we have an absolute commitment to our standards from all participants! Looking forward to the competition in two weeks’ time. Go, Warriors!

Board Training and Election Cycle

Like earlier this year, I’ll be leading a 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 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.

If you would like to participate, you can sign up by clicking here: 

 https://goo.gl/forms/cfjli5MvNnwzNiNs2

Similar to last year, the BoT is also seeking candidates as new Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who will begin serving in the 2020-2021 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 to be completed by March 30 for appointments and by April 17 for elections. The link to that form is here:

https://goo.gl/forms/3Vg4LemowAyfBTNA3

The Board is currently seeking community members with experience in fields like human resources, fundraising, development, and strategic planning. We are also seeking members with strong social networks within both ASW and our host community. Most importantly, the BoT needs parents who are committed to the values, mission, and vision of our community and the long-term wellbeing of our school and its students.

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

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

Parent Partnership – Elementary Principal Search and Window into Early Years Open Doors

Please join me on February 20 for a parent coffee in the ES Tower to discuss the current Elementary Principal Search that was announced back in December. This is just an update as our process gets closer to invitations and visits for our finalists shortly after the February break. Our Search Committee has been working diligently on first-round interviews of our applicants. In total, we had over 70 applicants from our global search. We are hoping to have some parents join us to share their thoughts on preferred qualities and also to sign up if interested in joining community interview teams as part of the upcoming visits. Please join us if you can on Thursday, February 20 at 8:45a. Be sure to check ES eNotes for information on the Early Years presentation as well! See you in the tower!

We spent some time with the leadership cadre today in our next journey toward strategic planning work that increases in focus this semester. Today, we focused on our adopted objective:

By 2024, everyone here will spend the majority of their time managing what they do and designing how they do it.

In the context of our Mission tag line “Changing the world for the better,” we unpacked the wording of this objective after many months of embracing the ideas that have been emerging in the Project Nest and deepening our understanding of the IB Standards and Practices.  We considered the embedded concepts in “managing” and considered terms like negotiating and advocating – all terms associated with agency.  We dug into designing and talked about making, planning, writing, presenting, debating, and constructing amongst many others. Most importantly, we took the time to create and tell our own stories of what it would look like for students and teachers if we had achieved this objective.  As our vision statement, this is the storytelling of a crafted future, building on ideas that cross subject, divisional, and departmental lines.

We then turned our stories into aspirations by capturing the aims of the story in a “What if we…?” statement.  These are now being added to the Project Nest for all to review and reflect upon.  It’s not too late to still add your own ideas using the same starter.  Please come and add your own between now and early March.  Then we start turning the Project Nest into tangible projects that will be designed during March and April.  Look for more on our work as it evolves between now and the end of the year.

Coronavirus

Some parents have asked the athletics and activities office over the last few days about any travel restrictions in regards to athletic travel over the next few weeks to SCIS and CEESA tournaments. The conferences in which ASW is a member have at this point said they have imposed the same or similar guidelines including the exclusion of students who have recently traveled to or through China. This is part of our screening for trip advisories that will now be given each week in advance of the next weekend of travel.

Our other plans in school have now been fully implemented. We continue to watch the information from reliable sources and will make additional changes to our practices as the situation requires. Thank you for the many messages supporting our actions and our communication during this emergency. As always, we appreciate your feedback and accept both criticism and compliment in order to continue to improve our practice.

Parking Permits

Reminder to get your parking permits. Remember, after the February break:

NO parking permit = NO car access to the campus.

To the ASW Community…

I’m writing to update you on the status of our response to the Coronavirus as new details become available. The information below is gleaned from multiple sources, but all checked against current science and official positions on the issue.  It is clear we also have a significant amount of misinformation that is being shared through media and individuals that increases the complexity of our decisions.  Despite news reports from China of more drastic restrictions, we are still taking a measured approach to the situation, grounded in current and validated facts. 

According to our risk plan for infection, we are currently at Level 1 and will remain at this level based on current advice. We would only move to the next level after reviewing additional information and based on US Embassy or other competent recommendations. There are 4 levels to the plan that include board involvement on any decisions that would include the closure of school.

Level 1 includes the following actions:

• A student must be kept at home if symptoms occur.  This is consistent with normal school policy but will be further reinforced in the coming days.  As per our health manual (excerpt), parents must “keep a child home from school when he/she has any of the following symptoms: Signs of severe illness including fever of 38C (100.4F), difficulty breathing, a severe runny nose, sneezing, frequent and/or hard coughing…”
• Students who have been diagnosed with a Communicable disease “must inform the Nurse’s Office of the diagnosis. When returning to school, the student must submit a doctor’s note stating that he/she is no longer contagious and is fit to return to school before going to class.”
• Encourage hygiene including handwashing (all levels)
• Extra cleaning around the school and increased disinfection
• Normal activities program and normally scheduled events
• Field trips as normal, but potentially restricted if any risk in Poland or at the location of the visit:
  • This weekend we are hosting MATHCOUNTS and sending basketball teams to Zurich and Vienna
  • Next weekend, we have trips going to Basel and Athens

We will use email, establish a notification on our website, and use our SMS system if the situation suggests an increase to the next level, which would include the following additional steps:

• Restrict campus access to only staff, parents, and students – all visitor access suspended
• Parents requested to disclose travel to infected areas
• School activities as normal
• School travel suspended
• Evening and special events – school staff, parent, and students only
• Posters and information on buses regarding health restrictions – don’t get on the bus if sick!
• Increased school cleaning and 3-day cycle on additional cleaning support and activity
• All students who have traveled in last 10 days monitored.

To be clear we are not at the next level yet and we would only go to this level when cases are identified in Poland, a pandemic is declared by either WHO or the CDC, and broader travel restrictions are implemented.  This is NOT the case at this time.

We have a much more detailed document from the Embassy with questions and answers to the most frequent requests for information.  It is attached “HERE”.

One of the issues that we are facing is two families are returning from China in the coming days.  I’ve been in touch with both families and they have confirmed they have not traveled to the Wuhan area and have been only with close family members during the New Year.  The following is an excerpt from the longer Q&A advisory linked above:

Q: Should we be limiting contact with staff or family members who are returning from China?  Is it okay to have them in offices, classrooms, training, etc?

A: At this point, neither the WHO nor the CDC has recommended any preclusions for people coming from China.  Currently, the CDC in the United States is screening all arrivals from China and doing more in-depth screening of arrivals who have been specifically in Wuhan.  From what has been seen to date there is no indication that travelers from China should be limited in their interactions at work, school, or recreational activities.  Excluding someone “out of an abundance of caution” is not indicated, unfairly stigmatizes people without evidence that it protects anyone and should NOT be done.

US Embassy Med Unit, January, 2020

As you can see, there is no support for excluding these families at this time and we have contacted them to confirm that they have not been exposed nor have traveled to the current region of focus, the Wuhan area, and are not exhibiting any symptoms.  Therefore, messages to these families suggesting that they should remain out of school are highly inappropriate.

We have heard many other rumors and hysteria driven claims in the media.  We must be cautious about believing everything we read and see on TV and through the internet.  As we teach your children, we should be thoughtful consumers of information seeking the best and most accurate sources.  As a school, we focus on reliable and confirmed sources of information for our decisions and will continue to resist calls for action that is based on fear and false information.

To summarize:

• While it is early, this is not a serious illness based on the number of cases and the symptoms reported.  The deaths are a limited number and mostly older adults with other health concerns. 
• As a comparison, the CDC estimates that the flu has hit as many as 21 million people since October 1, 2019 (start of the flu season) and has caused between 9000 and 20000 deaths so far, as it does each year.
• The Polish government released advice this afternoon that affirms a prudent approach of just better handwashing and also sought to push back on erroneous claims of the spread of the virus via postal mail.

Please allow us to be cautious, but also prudent. Do not take matters into your own hands and directly contact other families you believe are of concern. Make decisions relative to your own child and family as you see appropriate. But, most importantly, please know that the school is making decisions based on changing conditions and using the best official advice available.