Zimplicity

I hope you all had a wonderful spring break. Certainly, students have shared great stories of their time travelling or just exploring local parks, playgrounds, and backyards during this early part of spring. The joy of getting back to school was wonderful for all of us!

Faculty and Staff Appreciation

I want to personally thank all of the PTO volunteers who made it such a special day today. The array of treats, the expression of joy, and the appreciation of all that we do for your children was enjoyed by all!!   Our partnership as a whole community really shines during traditions like this and the beautiful plants, like our collaboration, will continue to bloom and grow!!

To all Faculty and Staff at school, my earnest thanks and appreciation for all that you do.  Like parents and children, I’m particularly thoughtful on this day each year when I ponder all that you do every day to enrich and nurture young lives.  I am so proud of all that you have accomplished, through adversity and always.  Please accept my acknowledgement in this public forum of our collective awe and regard!!

Upcoming Changes for COVID Mitigation

Here’s the current summary list that we will discuss tonight as well during Town Hall (recording available tomorrow as well).

• Questions on the Daily Survey will be changing this weekend and will be simplified.  But, the importance of the daily survey needs to be reinforced as the best way of protecting us from an increased spread as we move into the endemic phase of this disease.
• Masks become optional starting on May 2nd and continuing only as a mitigation strategy if we have an outbreak in a grade level or cohort.
• We open further for cross-cohort access starting on May 2nd
  • Primarily in common areas of hallways and spaces like the library and cafeteria.
  • Begin transitioning back to a single Health Clinic located in the elementary hallways – open hallway in that area to Upper School access (starting on May 9).
• Relax seating and distancing limits – use facilities at an 80% capacity level
• Open access for parents attending outdoor events
• Indoor Events – all parents may attend under test-to-attend in one of the following ways:
  • Testing here at school for the usual cost of 50 PLN on the day of the event
  • Test from outside provider accepted if done within 24 hours of the event. Present documentation and you will be allowed entry.
  • No testing is required for students, staff, and registered volunteers who are “green” on OK4School
  • No testing will be required for individuals within 4 week grace period of their recovery
• Cafeteria increased open hours and expanded menu starting May 10.  8a to 4:00p
• Parent access to the central core – main entrance, hall of flags, cafeteria, PTO Store – limited to 8a to 10a M-F – starting on May 10.
• Health screening testing continues once per week – 25% of the school population each day, M/T/Th/F. (Next week, Tuesday shifts to Wednesday due to the Constitution Day holiday.)
• Temperature check at main entrance only for unbadged individuals or individuals not using OK4School

We’ll talk about this more tonight, but we’ve only seen a limited impact from travel and the only cautionary point regards the number of cases we are seeing based on a family transmission that starts with parent infection.  That is the one remaining factor that keeps us slightly cautious and requires a test-to-attend program for parents in the short term.  We’ll monitor this over the next week or two, but we believe this to be the prudent approach for the time being.  If we can relax further, we will do so based on observed results.

Thanks, as always for your continuous feedback which is reviewed regularly.  We are still working hard to find the right balance and be responsive to your hopes (ours too) while not going too far beyond the comfort level of our various stakeholder groups.  I know most understand this and will allow us some space for incremental steps that are meant to keep our students and staff safe.

COVID Planning for After the Break

We’ve been working on our plan for COVID mitigation after spring break in recent days while evaluating the results of our recent changes.  We have seen a minimal impact from our incremental relaxation so far and feel like we are ready to continue down this path a bit further.  Thank you for your patience as we apply government decisions to a decidedly more vulnerable setting with greater expectations for moving cautiously and thoughtfully toward what that data increasingly supports.

At the core, we believe, based on multiple sources of advice, that we are moving slowly from a pandemic to an endemic phase of the virus.  There are many sources to this opinion and it is becoming clearer based on reduced hospitalization and continued study.

As such, the school will move from the original strategy of Stop/Protect/React to a lower level mitigation strategy of Protect/Identify/React.  The original goal remains – to keep us all in school.  But, under the original model, our goal was to avoid infection while under the new structure, the primary goal is to reduce and respond to infection.  It maintains many of our layers but reserves some of them more as mitigation measures rather than as daily expectations.  This also shifts some responsibility to the individual in determining how they manage risk.  We still have to be concerned about the potential for more serious illness. So, in some areas, we will still take a moderate approach until there is greater clarity in Europe and around the world.  We have to maintain a readiness to be more restrictive if conditions demand.

Right after the break, we will be slightly more restrictive until we complete a week of precautionary testing.  Testing is an area where we are able to adjust when the situation demands.  With many travelling next week, all agree that we need to be prudent with testing following the break.  While we have not scheduled a re-entry testing day, we have developed a schedule for testing the entire school population in the first 48-hours of our return and a second time that same week to be sure we identify any cases as early as possible.  Since we did this same strategy recently for our long weekend, this is the choice for the upcoming break as well.  All of our other changes, listed below, will start on May 2nd as follows:

• Mask optional for all staff and students on all days unless identified as part of a group or cohort where masking is applied as a mitigation strategy for an identified case.
• Additional relaxation of cohort isolation.  Maintain cohort areas, but allow students to cross cohorts more freely, particularly in shared spaces
• Move all health services back to its original location and re-open transit for Upper School students to this area
• Expand access to events through the Test-to-Attend program.  More details on this after the break.
• Outdoor events access for parents without testing.
• Relax seating limitations and distancing
• Allow access to parents for limited areas and times.  More details on this after the break.
• Cafeteria expand open hours to 8a to 3:30p and continued relaxation of cohort mixing – primarily at Upper School
• Continue attestation with some changes to survey
• Reduce temperature checking at the main entrance by excluding staff students using OK4School.

All of the above may be modified or retracted if the situation demands based on the results of testing in the week following the break or in the case where information suggests we should increase protocols due to new concerns (e.g., community spread, a new variant, etc.).  This would be based, as usual, on medical advice and Crisis Team consideration.

Parking Lot & Pick-up

It’s always good at this time of year to remind everyone about expectations in the parking lot.  Please remember that yellow zones are not parking areas.  You may not leave your vehicle for more than 30 seconds and you must move your vehicle if directed by staff at any time.  That means that you must always be within a line of sight to your vehicle and move it as quickly as possible.

I should hasten to mention, that it is polite and good etiquette in a parking lot to move out of the yellow zone and circle the parking lot to allow others to pick up their students if your child is delayed for any reason.  The intent of the yellow zones is to maintain the flow of traffic.  While some degree of waiting in your vehicle with the engine off is generally tolerated, we would expect you to move to a parking space if your child is delayed in exiting the building.  In this regard, our security or other staff may ask you to move and circle the parking lot to open a space for others and you should obey their instructions at all times.  This is critically important in the mornings near the elementary entrance as busses are also using this area to drop children off for school. No car may remain in this yellow area for more than 30 seconds.  Staff are on duty for this purpose to monitor your children at the entrance to the building or playground as appropriate to their age.  Kiss-n-Go was always meant to be done AT the vehicle to avoid any delay.

All of the above has safety implications and we should add that you must control your speed in the parking lot at all times to less than 10km/h.  Stop for crosswalks and pedestrians.  Always watch carefully for children emerging from between cars.  You must follow the directions of security and other staff at all times and I would also ask for courtesy in this regard as well.

In the case of concerns about any vehicle, the school always reserves the right to deny entrance to any vehicle that is unwilling to follow our directions or protocols.  When an infraction occurs, our security coordinator will notify you and this will serve as a warning that future incidents may require suspension of your access privileges. 

Thanks to all who help us maintain a smooth flow each day, both morning and afternoon.  We are generally very efficient and I appreciate your efforts in this regard!

It’s been wonderful to see all the art opportunities emerge during Art Fest this week and we are all looking forward to the HS Play as well. Many things happening as we finish the two weeks before our spring break this year. But, this week in particular will be amazing! My best wishes to the IB artists tonight and to all the art engagements in the days ahead! Many thanks to all the hands in the Performing and Visual Arts Team for their work toward making this happen for all our students.

I hope the conferences went well for you and I want to thank teachers for all their efforts in sharing your child’s accomplishments with you. With that, you should have a plan for the remaining weeks of the school year in order to maximize opportunities for growth and continued learning. Remember that we are always available to you beyond conferences. Please just reach out to teachers as needed for further clarification or with your questions. We are partners always in nurturing your child toward their goals.

Efforts for #ASWforUkraine continue to grow and develop. It has been a joy to talk to schools around the world who are dedicating their fundraising efforts to our cause. Our distribution center and food preparation is wonderful support for our continued community effort in support of the refugees in our midst. We also have moved forward on our commitment to displaced students from CEESA partner schools and many students are now in our midst on a temporary basis finding safety and normalcy in our midst. The team of parents, students, and staff should be applauded for all their efforts in our multiple tiers of engagement.

Finally, we have encouraging results in our testing today that continues to support a reduction in community spread. We are ready for our next mask optional day on Friday and, if the trend continues, further loosening. Please be mindful of the feelings of others in regards to these changes. We still have a degree of fear and we should be mindful that taking incremental steps is one way we encourage and support the needs of those who are concerned. Please remember that we have students and family members in our community who are more vulnerable and evidence from last week is that they were very concerned about the risks. They are correct to be concerned, as we all should. It is not forward looking to add too much risk hurriedly. Please be patient and supportive of the entire community as we take steps that are structured and prudent. After tomorrow’s testing, we will have a good picture for charting the path forward and avoiding unnecessary consequences.

Mask Optional Day

Tomorrow is our first mask optional day and this is just a message with the most important reminders. First, we support any student’s continued use of a mask on these days. Teachers are prepared to support students in their choices on the day.

Be reminded that this mask optional at school does NOT apply to transportation. Buses will remain masked until our next review before spring break. We are extending mask optional to include after-school activities on the mask optional day as well.

I want to thank you in advance for your patience on the many details for opening up activities to a parent audience at events next week. It will follow the testing structure and strategy, but will include the reduced distancing requirements and the relaxed cohort boundaries. Please offer your feedback as you consider your attendance at these events according to the details below.

We’ll report back on how the day goes tomorrow. We are heading into this day with the full student body tested and a minimal number of cases, primarily from home cross infections, identified. Community spread numbers are also continuing a slow downward trend. We all remain hopeful that this trend will continue.

Professional Development Day (PD)

Our teachers will be engaged in a wide range of learning activities and professional collaboration when we gather without students on Friday. We typically schedule two or three of these days per year and they are important opportunities for strategic, curricular, and instructional work. Teachers have much to share with each other in refining our practices and this collaboration opportunity is critical to achieving consistency of practice while also creating space for innovation and wellness. I know you all join me in hoping that this is a refreshing and rewarding time.

Conferences

Equally important is our Parent/Teacher conferences, again presented in a virtual format. The results of these virtual meetings has been well received as it increases parent involvement and optimizes our use of time. We fully expect to maintain this virtual delivery format into the future since it has been so well received and given our record setting participation rates across all grade levels.

Signing up for your conferences is easy and done through our PowerSchool interface!!

Parent Conferences sign-up is open NOW and will close Sunday, April 3 at 17:00.

To access the booking sheet you need to

1. Log into the parent portal using your My ASW Key through https://www.aswarsaw.org/myasw, and click on the PowerSchool icon. Login to PowerSchool if asked.
2. Click on the “Spring Conferences Sign-up” button on the left.
3. Click on the “Sign Up” button to access the Parent Booking
4. A new page will load with a list of your children and links to their sign-up sheets.

This video will guide you through the process of booking and includes instructions for conference day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/137WcKmNTVb9aUpYtpSDBbcsh2L07iTtF/view

If you haven’t already set up your My ASW Key account, look for an email that was sent to you on Thursday, March 3, with the subject “Welcome to the ASW Portal and your new My ASW Key” where you’ll find your new parent username ending in @my.aswarsaw.org and your initial password. If you are unable to find this email or are having trouble signing in to your new account, please visit our support page at https://sites.google.com/aswarsaw.org/parenthelp/support or email our support team at help@my.aswarsaw.org

Ukraine

Our efforts communicated to the community on March 2 are in full swing now and this is an update of our status of enrollments and our ongoing service efforts.

Our first focus has been serving a displaced population of students from the CEESA schools most affected in the early stages by the war in Ukraine. In total, 4 schools were forced to evacuated for reasons of armed conflict or political unrest. This includes the two schools in Kyiv, one school in Minsk, and my previous school in Moscow. From this list, more than 60 have reached out for possible placement and we are currently serving about 19 from that list. Others are still in process and some that were originally offered spots have now moved on to other countries or new assignments. In some cases, in order to preserve class size limits, we are only providing part schedules to upper school students where we have space. Some of these students will remain connected to their teachers from their prior school virtually for some classwork. A tremendous thank you to the Admissions department for adding this process to their already busy season of new applications for next year

It’s important to note that these families have been invited to apply for next year, but they will join the existing application process. As you all know, we have challenges at some grade levels and waiting lists are already forming.

Our humanitarian and service initiatives continue to be ongoing and robust. We are working to keep you updated on our work, but it is daunting at times with many initiatives going on at the same time. In general, we have organized as follows:

We have a core team led by our long time Service Learning Coordinator, Ligita Miele, and it has generally established three tiers of action in a collaboration between students, staff, and PTO. PTO is providing additional insights below in eNotes.

Tier 1 was focused on supporting refugees in our ASW community homes.  This includes finding additional homes, coordinating support and leveraging community resources.  We foresaw a need for everything from legal support to medical needs and asked our community what they could offer. We quickly started up a meal train with families providing meals to host families to support feeding refugees.  In order to make this sustainable, we set up a makeshift kitchen and a volunteer chef from the United States flew to Warsaw to help expand the donated preparation space into a competent volunteer preparation center.  We now send out prepared and packaged meals to more than 100 each day in support of our host families.  Tier 1 is also focused on transitional planning and supporting the move of refugees to onward destinations which may include reuniting with families in other EU countries or other destinations.  We also provide COVID testing with our medical partner, Epixpert, when symptoms emerge or as needed in advance of travel. We can’t begin to thank enough members of the community that continue to donate their time, buildings, resources, and effort toward taking care of the refugees in our midst.

Tier 2 is focused on moving donations and supplies to both the above supported refugees locally and the broader refugee population located in Warsaw and to the east along the border. Utilizing the direction of our partner, the Refugee Center, we have directed a massive amount of goods and materials to these destinations, now totalling more than 1600 boxes of clothing, food, baby supplies, pet supplies, etc.  Student and parent volunteers sort and repackage donations that are literally streaming in from around the world.  Trucks unload regularly and we facilitate new trucks with sorted goods to all of the recommended destinations.

Tier 3 is focused on other sustainable efforts.  We are now looking at the establishment of a school-based foundation.  We are currently using the pre-existing school charitable foundation in the US (501c3) that is already aligned with this work under service learning here at the school. But, we are now moving close to US$100K in donations and considering the sustainable activities of the above tiers and going further into other areas.  The long-term implications of 2.5 million people is daunting to consider.  Right now, we are a bridging activity while government funding (Polish and offshore) is organized and funneled to refugees.  Our development of a school-based foundation would further support these efforts in partnership with these agencies and expand our outreach to those in transition.  This foundation could also be an opportunity to serve the organization of preserving Ukrainian education in the longer term here in Poland as well as further west into Europe, where many of the refugees are likely to migrate. Tier 3 also includes grade level projects that might include tutoring and other activities for refugee children using weekend and after school hours.

Donations are being directed to a wide range of activities that fill gaps and provide for logistics for getting donations to where they are needed most. Funds have been spent to get supplies that were not otherwise donated or fill gaps in clothing sizes where necessary according to the requests. Materials such as boxes and small equipment have been purchased that is combined with donated spaces to provide services. We also support transportation by truck of our processed donations to the centers requesting support in addition to what is used by the 110 refugees we are currently housing with families. So far, we’ve sent multiple vans full of supplies to the border and more loads are in preparation. Funds also provide for supermarket shopping cards to help bridge gaps for refugees who arrive without access to resources. Thus far, using in-kind donations, we have only spent about 10% of the funds raised to date. We are looking at this fund and choosing projects carefully to make sure that the resources are sufficient to support the demand over a longer term.

There is much here to still learn and this is providing students with key opportunities to learn more directly about service at a critical time. We have a strong leadership team made up of a lead school administrator, effective parent leaders, and a cadre of student leaders.  We have a strong school ethic of service and care, embedded in the fabric of our core values.  In this regard, we have all the tools we need to continue to be both resilient and effective.

COVID

We continue to watch current numbers on infections and latest medical advice. As you are all aware, there has been reporting in the news regarding the sub-variant of Omicron that now accounts for most of the new infections. I’ve had a couple of comments in our ongoing survey regarding this current wave that may be, according to data collected, more of a ripple.

While it is hard to predict, the Omicron BA.2 variant has demonstrated that it is more infectious than the main strain and now accounts for a large percentage of cases in areas where studies have checked through genomic testing. These numbers are believed to be the source of recent increases in European countries. While overall community spread continues to mediate, our recent cases may be related to this variant. We are hopeful that this won’t be as serious as the prior wave and it does seem that symptoms tend to me more mild, particularly for those vaccinated.

We continue to review this medical data along with our survey data that continues to come in. Thank you for sharing your thoughts HERE! We’ll share this compiled data and our decisions regarding mask wearing timelines next week. It does seem clear from the survey so far that we will not be ready any changes in early April, so our focus will be on considering dates later in the spring.

COVID Protocol Updates and Dates

We find ourselves at a crossroads yet again with improving conditions, but an air of caution because caseloads, while demonstrating a downward trend are only moving slowly in the right direction. It seems that each day we are encouraged only to be followed by a day where there is a list again. This is challenging for trying to drive projections and move forward with implementing strategies that we see in other places in the world. But, we also know that this pandemic has taught us that no two places are the same and each must be viewed in its own context. This was the reason that the US CDC changed its guidance. First, they change the criteria being used and second they no longer provide global guidance, but three levels of guidance based on localized circumstances. If you are in an area of high spread, you have more restrictions, low area, less restrictions. Sound familiar? Yes, the CDC seems to have affirmed our approach of a low/medium/high posture with regards to protocols.

Tonight we are announcing a schedule of incremental changes over the coming weeks that we intend to constitute moving from Medium level to Low level in some areas of our overall plan. The main document has been updated and can be found here for your review:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T13qBUFwwUIpKtR7O1DQICP5_KPN2RpK/view?usp=sharing

But, the main report does not specify the levels and where we intend to move while we continue to monitor the results. Here is the summary of our changes by date we tentatively intend to implement.

• March 21 – Expand events access, relax cafeteria practices, and testing to once per week
• March 28 – Relax cohort isolation (various facilities and pathways)
• April 4 (tentative) – relax indoor mask mandate – conditional on case management, home testing, attestation, and survey results.

We intend to send details each week in our Weekly bulletins on how each area will be implemented and the slides presented tonight at Town Hall are included HERE in advance and have more detail drawn from the main guiding document. Please join us to ask your questions.

In addition, we are launching a survey on the final steps on April 4 and would seek input from all constituents before finalizing that stage. That survey is HERE (you’ll need your my.aswkey.org – parents – or school email login – students and staff – to participate).

Thanks as always for those who give us feedback. We appreciate your participation and engagement!

Time to get on board – my.aswkey.org

ASW has recently launched a new Parent Portal my.aswkey.org. The portal is a great source of information and a gateway to all school services such as PowerSchool, ManageBac, Seesaw, and more.  There, parents can find the latest issues of the eNotes, news and resources provided by the counselors as well as photo galleries from the latest events taking place at school. We encourage all parents to visit the portal to view the photos from the recent Middle School musical “Fame”, US VP Kamala Harris visit, or a TVP World coverage of ASW support for Ukraine refugees. To log in, please make sure you get your new “MyASWKey” accounts up and running!

Should you need any assistance logging in please contact help@my.aswarsaw.org.  Frequently asked questions and supporting videos and documentation can be found HERE.

Introducing New Staff

Speaking of the my.aswkey.org account above, if you want to read the bios of our new staff for 2022-2023, you can go HERE, but you’ll need your new credentials to access this (see above).

Save the Date – June 4, 2022 – Inaugural Gala – “A Stroll Around“

As the community continues its impressive response to support the needs of Ukrainian refugees, we are committed to continue and even grow our efforts. Further, we are also committed to developing our capacity to respond to other needs–some that preceded this situation and some that will exist after.  It is precisely for these reasons we established our initiative to formalize and enhance a “Culture of Giving” at ASW.  We are pleased to ask you to mark your calendar for the first Saturday in June for an inaugural event.

Celebrate, showcase, and support the members of our community and the enduring impact their actions have. Proceeds will be directed to ASW’s efforts to extend and continue support the Ukrainian refugees as well as the school’s service learning and scholarship programs.

Service Showcase *  Raffle  *  Student Art & Performances  * Reception, Dinner, and Dance 

Our Efforts for Ukraine

I hope you are or were able to join us by watching Town Hall or watching the recording to get a sense of our efforts relative to Ukraine support. Following up on my letter from Monday, we are organizing on a number of fronts, the most visible being an ongoing stream of donations that we will continue to process and forward in the coming days and weeks. Keep it coming and many thanks for the outpouring of support so far. Our website for this purpose has all of the necessary links to participate and please check back often for emerging needs.

https://www.aswarsaw.org/community/aswforukraine

Please go here for all the information you need on how to participate. In particular, fill out our survey on what you can offer. We are still in the very early stages of this and as more becomes clear, we’ll reach out continuously to the community. Students are actively engaged in supporting actions here at school. Our Service Learning Office is providing all coordination. We have many families already helping with housing and support for refugees. Others who have volunteered will be contacted as needs become more clear.

We’ll continue our path at school to keep things as normal as possible. Activities and events will go ahead as scheduled. Some may be slightly modified, but there is a strong desire to keep our students engaged and focused in the coming days as we all process and act on what is going on around us. Initial efforts of our team to support specific needs is ongoing and available to you upon request. Open as always to your additional comment and suggestions.

Board Communication on Ukraine

Dear ASW Families:

While I have always been impressed by the dedication, commitment, and generosity displayed by our community during times of crisis, I have never been more proud of our ASW family than now. The #ASWforUkraine campaign is strong, and we are all in it for the long-haul to best support one another and refugees in need of our help. Our efforts continue to be truly impressive and all-encompassing.

The Board of Trustees is fully committed to helping these efforts move forward and flourish on all fronts. To that end, Director Zurfluh has written a comprehensive resolution to support CEESA School students displaced by the War in Ukraine, which the Board unanimously approved early this week. This resolution allows for Mr. Zurfluh and his team to take swift action to support CEESA students and their families coming from Ukraine and Russia in need of our assistance to enroll at ASW (as grade level numbers allow), not worry about Registration Fees or tuition in general, and receive other essential support for the smoothest possible transition here.

The Resolution also describes support of these CEESA member school students in assessments and other related learning services. It speaks to the continued commitment of supporting other refugees through our #ASWforUkraine campaign and other community support and charity work.

Please see the official Resolution HERE.

Thank you all for your continued support, resilience, and unity during this unpredictable and tragic time. Together, we can make an impact that matters and be a refuge for our families most in need, both old and new. And together, we will become stronger and even more capable of changing the world for the better.

Katharine (Kay) LaBanca
Chair, ASW Board of Trustees

Current COVID Status

As all are aware, we have clearly past the peak of the 5th wave and it now looks like we are moving into territory where we can make some moves on a more relaxed posture. We want to complete testing this week before announcing changes, so we will be communicating those next week for implementation shortly thereafter. Our final vaccination event will be this Saturday and sign-up has already closed. Reminders to those who are signed up will come shortly. We won’t be doing anything further with vaccination this school year unless there is a change in protocol or release of new vaccines for our youngest students. Please keep us informed of your child’s vaccinations by sending your documents to aswhealth@aswarsaw.org

Board Elections

Later this week you will receive your personalized ballot for ASW Board of Trustee Elections.  While we have two candidates and each are running unopposed, we need to complete this election process as prescribed by policy. Here are our candidates for each seat (US and non-US:

• Ms. Sarah Kyle (US seat candidate) – video
• Mr. Peter Jambor (non-US seat candidate) – video

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 with your personal email.  Please contact us at director@aswarsaw.org if you do not receive your ballot by the end of the week.  You will receive reminders until you cast your ballot and click on submit.  The voting closes on March 17 and the results will be certified by the board at their regular meeting on April 11.

Board appointments were completed at the last board meeting and we are pleased to announce the appointment Magdalena Kowalska who will extend her time with the board for an additional 3 years, and please welcome Mr. James Simmons for an initial two year term. Information on both board members can be found in the board action item HERE.

Parent Portal – My ASW Key – @my.aswarsaw.org

We are happy to be launching our new portal to provide parents access to all things ASW. You will be issued a new ‘My ASW Key’ made up of a username, which is a parent ASW email address and a password for use in accessing all of our ASW portals and resources. This will take us some time and processing, but will improve our communications significantly in the coming weeks/months. It starts with sending each of you a new account credential under the “my.aswarsaw.org” domain. This works like any other Gmail account and you should install it on your favorite email application. In the coming months during our transition period, we want parents to adopt this as our primary way of communicating with you. But, we also need to maintain contact with you through your personal email and phone numbers, so there is still a place in PowerSchool for updating that information as it changes and we will have access to your personal email for urgent communications during the transition period. The more you use the Parent Portal address, the more effective this tool will become in providing a protected space for our school community. This aligns with our GDPR and child protection initiatives and effectively creates a safe arena for expanding access to key resources that we use to support your child. Please watch for further communication on this and the key messages that will get you up and running as smoothly as possible. Directions and instructional videos can be found in the Parent Portal Support Page. If you need help at any point, reach out to help@my.aswarsaw.org for assistance.

It does now seem clear that we are moving into an easing of COVID concerns and we are monitoring accordingly. As suggested in Monday’s Weekly bulletin, we have done incremental adjustments to our protocols after the initial changes from last week. We know that more updates are going to be warranted soon, but there is no clarity on this and everyone remains concerned about travel during the break that might re-ignite cases again. In recent weeks, we can report that a small percentage of our cases were identified as likely related to travel. Additionally, while our statistics suggest milder symptoms for the current predominant variant, there were still a few recorded cases of more severe disease amongst our youngest, including a couple of emergency room visits. These small statistics are what causes us to remain cautious and not make decisions too quickly that overly increase the risk of more serious outcomes.

In order to return safely after the break, we have prepared a schedule for re-entry testing, as we usually do, and we are announcing a one-day virtual day on Monday, February 28 in order to check the population before returning to regular school. We have scheduled re-entry testing and enabled family-based appointments in PowerSchool. The times are as follows:

• February 27th (Sunday) 12PM – 4PM
• February 28th (Monday) 8AM – 6PM

We will still have Seniors on campus on Monday and their testing need not be scheduled. They will have a special entrance and testing starting first thing in the morning so that they can begin their exams as scheduled. The rest of the school should be “green” on OK4School by late Monday evening and ready to return physically on Tuesday. Principals and teachers will deliver their plans for Monday activities in advance of the day as usual. Thank you in advance for your support of this plan!

Town Hall Canceled Tonight

As noted in the Special Update sent earlier today, I’ve cancelled Town Hall tonight and will reschedule on our first Wednesday after the break, March 2nd. It is on calendars now and will appear on Facebook and on Youtube next week. Thank you for your patience as I deal with a family emergency.

Board Elections

We have our candidates for the upcoming board elections and will send out details just after the break. We’ll be introducing them to you at our next Town Hall before we send out ballots shortly thereafter. Our thanks to all who showed interest in serving on the Board of Trustees! We have many in our community willing to serve and thankful for the broad range of skills and experience that has been offered!

URGENT: Re-Enrollment for 2022-2023

This is a reminder to complete a re-enrollment survey for the 2022-2023 school year. Invoices will be issued on the basis of your response. Please login to PowerSchool and click on “Re-enrollment 22/23” in the left column. We need the survey for each child filled out separately, so please make sure to change between each child in the upper left corner and then click on the icon to reveal your one-question survey.

This must be completed by TOMORROW, February 17!!

Thank you and enjoy your break!

Please join me in welcoming Matthew Turner to ASW as a temporary Warrior in the counselling department!!  Matt is a long time international school counsellor having served at Jakarta International School and Singapore American School.  He now runs a consulting service, Family Pathways and Solutions, where he works with international schools worldwide.  Matt has arrived and will join us tomorrow to support primarily our MS Counseling needs while both Ms. Skoczylas and Ms. Kielczewska transition back to work after the tragic loss of Ms. Kielczewska’s young daughter, Iga.

Ms. Skoczylas and Mr. Turner will start working together in the Middle School office and Ms. Kielczewska plans to return sometime after the February break.  Mr. Turner will remain with us to support until at least Mid-March.

Many thanks to everyone who has been supporting our counselling needs during this difficult time. Please express your gratitude to the Upper School administration and the schoolwide counselling team for their efforts in recent weeks.

My thanks to the entire ASW Community for their efforts in helping us during this current COVID wave and during our recent tragedies. We were all blessed with the time afforded us on Monday to say our farewells to Ms. Olczak and in recent weeks for all of our condolence activities. We now have a memory book started for Ms. Olczak and you should look to your bulletins for directions on accessing this book to add your message to the family.

Re-Enrollment

Please look for a message tomorrow from the Chair of the Board of Trustees regarding the re-enrollment process for next year after Board decisions on Monday night. Thanks in advance for your attention to the necessary steps to prepare for next year.

I shared the following with staff yesterday and it seems worthy of sharing more broadly…

There is nothing that hits harder than when we experience more than one loss in close succession. I, like many of you, experienced a weekend of reflection and renewal after services for Iga on Friday. Hearing about a precious life filled with joy and spirit was both sad and, at the same time, renewing.

I have always lived a life that has sought meaning and inspiration from those lost along the way. I have strong memories from the loss of my father, grandmothers, other family members, close friends, teachers, etc… Lives well-lived should set examples for us and I’ve always believed that the lessons of their memories should be cherished and enacted.

To that end, we have a connection here between a young child in the most brilliant and enthusiastic part of the beginning of life juxtaposed with a vibrant soul in the fullness of a life well-lived. If we were to reflect on what they would have wanted for all of us, I have to suggest that they both would have hoped for our joy and comfort. We heard on Friday that Iga would have run to us in our sadness, hoping to lift our spirits through the hugs and encouragement of youth. Joanna would have been the first to offer the spirit of resilience and hope for embracing life through strength and engagement. Both offer us the lessons of pushing forward with life, embracing all of the best of it and smiling broadly along the way.

They set for us a mighty example when taken together that should enrich and encourage us. We should all have our necessary moments of sorrow. But, we should also embrace the joy of their spirit, still and forever present in our lives.

Services for Joanna Olczak

We are preparing for our farewells to Joanna and have been informed of services along with some beautiful words included in a recently published obituary (click here) and (here).

The first obituary begins with Joanna’s favourite poem by Boles?aw Le?mian. Loose translation provided:

“As I departed by that chummy highway,
The pansies’ eyes were staring great and golden,
With horseshoe rings of sapphire bruises underrround.
In limpid azure milled a butterflyway,
And ripe reseda rusted, to the sun beholden.”
[…]

Translated by Alexandra Chciuk-Celt

And then the following from the family:

Wife, Mother, Grandmother, and Sister.
A teacher of Polish, educator, erudite, feminist.
An unconventional and independent woman.
Beautiful, delightful, inspiring…

In lieu of bringing flowers to the service, we are encouraged to donate to the Salvation Foundation that supports refugee women. There is a sub-account specifically created “In Memory of Joanna Olczak” – details of the account are provided on the flyer (linked above).

The school will also still provide flowers on behalf of all parents, students, and staff of ASW. We will post this information on the ASW Alumni portal as well.

February 7 at 12:00p
Evangelical Augsburg Church on Pl. Stanislawa Malachowskiego 1
https://goo.gl/maps/cLjonBzGKBZjhryn8

Cemetery @ 13:30
Evangelical Augsburg Cemetery on ul. Mlynarska 54/56/58
https://goo.gl/maps/JkfVmPioL5TJ9PEC6

We don’t know yet what the school will do on Monday and will be meeting tomorrow to discuss options. Please feel free to offer me your advice in this regard and we will communicate our decisions tomorrow before the end of the day.

Calendar Survey closes today…

The calendar survey for the 2023-2024 school year closes tonight. Please offer your input before the calendar is forwarded to the board for adoption. Thank you to those who have already submitted their response.

https://forms.gle/hRgKkGTwptepxqM3A

Board Elections

We have completed the appointment process and the nominees for appointment will go to the board meeting on Monday night. But, the portal remains open for application to run in the election process. There are two seats open through election and that process begins soon! As a reminder, here are the pertinent links:

• Application to run for election to 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/about-us/board-of-trustees

Yesterday’s Health Department Announcements

Announcements yesterday have determined that Polish public schools for grades 5 and above will move into virtual mode until February 27. We will not be following this directive at this time and will continue to follow our current mitigation plan. ASW has taken this course of action before, but certainly we are watching our own case numbers and reviewing this on a daily basis. Reports of Poland’s case numbers today were not unexpected and we remain hopeful that these numbers will hit their peak as predicted toward the end of the month and early February. We are prepared to make decisions for individual grade levels and/or cohorts as required and following, as always, an incremental path to our decisions. Watch for Special Updates each day as we report the cases and our mitigation where warranted. We are still seeing the vast majority of cases coming from outside of school and the various activities reported to us through our contact tracing. We are all doing a better job of holding children out of school when symptoms emerge. So many of our reported cases have not had extended impact. We should note that any grade level or cohort on virtual school should also be suspending activities outside of school until the grade level is cleared to return. This is an important part of our protocol to reduce further spread or exposure.

We are in a challenging couple of weeks now and important to strengthen our resilience through adherence to our practices. We will get through this and continue our recovery efforts in due course.

Friday Reminder

A reminder that we are closing school on Friday, January 28, in order to provide an opportunity for our community to participate in memorial services and other remembrance activities for Iga Kielczewska-Skoczylas. I appreciate the many messages of support for this decision and the wonderful regard of the community in valuing the needs of the family and the entire community. Thank you for your understanding, care, and concern!

Calendar Survey – 2023-2024

It’s that time of year again when we ask you to look into your future crystal ball and consider the potential calendar for 2023-2024. Next year’s calendar was done last year (as we always do) and is currently posted HERE. It’s now time to consider the proposed calendar that was first put in front of the board in initial draft form back in November. Since then, the administration has identified the need for staff development and other adjustments to give you the current draft which is HERE. You can fill out a survey to provide your input here:

https://forms.gle/hRgKkGTwptepxqM3A

The Board of Trustees will adopt the final version at their April board meeting.

Vaccination sign-up

We have confirmed our vaccination event on February 5th. Please sign up by Monday, January 31. Reminders and times will be sent early next week. The link is here:

https://forms.gle/xjW2hZf3KUgN3WEY7

Traffic Reminder

Please remember to watch your speed on the campus at all times. The restriction is to travel at no faster than the posted 10 kph. Also, please be reminded to use crosswalks at all times and give the right of way to pedestrians everywhere in the parking lot.

Finally, please remember that you must stay with your vehicle at all times in the yellow “Kiss-n-Go” zones. No vehicle may be left unattended for more than 30 seconds. If you plan to exit your vehicle to meet your children, you should park. If parking is not available, continue around the loops until a spot opens. Do NOT leave a vehicle unattended for any extended period of time in these zones. For unattended vehicles, licenses will be recorded and access restrictions may be imposed on repeat offences.

Upcoming Change

Just an initial message that we are continuing the process of upgrading our systems further and the next phase of our plan has us rolling out changes that will unify our various portals and methods of communication. The most important aspect of this is the deployment of a new way of accessing our resources using a unified “My Key” approach. Look for more information on this through February as we get ready for the official launch of a new Parent Portal in March once we return from the Mid-Winter break.

At this time each year, the Board of Trustees (BoT) is seeking candidates for Trustees (U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. citizens) who will begin serving in the next academic school year starting in July. This process, overseen by the BoT Governance Committee, begins now with a call for both applications for appointment and self-nominations for election through a unified form. The link to our form is here:

https://forms.gle/Z2CT7ZWBL9qqqqzd9

The Board is currently seeking community members with experience in fields like facilities, fundraising, finance, law, development, and strategic planning. We are also seeking members with strong social networks within both ASW and our host community of Poland. 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. This is a voluntary role.

Deadline for the appointment process are due by January 27, 2022 with the election process to follow after the February 7th board meeting.

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

https://www.aswarsaw.org/about-us/board-of-trustees

We also have another round of aspiring board member training on March 3, 2022 to be virtually held starting at 6:00p via Zoom. You can sign up now (link below). You do not need to do the training to apply for appointment or election, but it is highly recommended.

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/about-us/board-of-trustees

Next Round of Vaccination

Our next and likely final round of vaccination for the current school year is scheduled for February 5th (second dose on March 5th). These events will continue vaccination for ages 5-11, but will also include opportunity for additional adults and ages 12-18, including boosters. Our form has been prepared with this in mind:

https://forms.gle/bQnkdeSarYbt6aza8

Sign-up will continue until January 31. You must complete one form for each person being vaccinated. Times are currently scheduled for 9a to 12p. Final schedule will be based on demand.

Teachers are shepherds and during adversity we all bring the flock in close, finding comfort in our community and connectedness.  

Some 40 years ago, In 1982, I graduated from college and started my first job as a 4^th grade teacher in Washington State.  Dr. Dick Weathermon, the superintendent who guided me into my first job and asked me to take over for a teacher who had departed on extended leave and would not return due to significant health issues.  I took over a class of 34 fourth graders who felt abandoned and alone, not understanding what had happened to the start of their school year.  Less than six months later, we would mourn together the passing of their teacher.  We each found voice in our journey, learning through pain and confusion, and finding resiliency in our shared survival.

I remember how, in this foundational year for me and them, we shared in our growing.  I was as green as you can be in your first year as a teacher, barely out of my student-teaching experience and much to learn.  But, Dr. Weathermon suggested, as he hired me, that I would be embarking on a journey, not taking a job.  He told me at the time that teaching was like being a shepherd and I would find myself often looking upon my “flock,” guiding them, nurturing them, and protecting them from harm.  Those words resonate with me today as we reflect on our challenges and our most recent devastating loss.

Iga Kielczewska-Skoczylas was a precious member of our community, and we are working hard to find ways to express our grief, keeping her sparkle in our hearts and memories, now and always.  We are all shepherds in this way, guiding, protecting, cherishing, and remembering. 

You’ll find herein, messages from principals about how we will proceed with this work of fellowship and care.  Our appreciation for all the messages of support for the family.  As the week continues, more opportunities to participate in important healing activities will become clear.  Please reach out if there is anything else we should be considering.

Wishing you all the best in the upcoming holidays! Whether celebrating the inspiration of good will toward men, or the many elements of family and cultural from your home, please let me offer my collective “hug” to the community and wishes for time to celebrate family and renewal. With the coming of the new year, we always reflect on our hopes and dreams. May the coming new beginning be filled with earnest optimism for both things lost that we hope to regain along with things earned and cherished that we hope to retain. May you find the joy and gladness found in the warm embrace of those who love and care for you!

Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year!

After the Break

We have crystalized our schedule for returning to school in January. Here’s the basic schedule for re-entry testing for students:

• Saturday, January 8, 8:00a to 4:00p
• Sunday, January 9, 12:00p to 4:00p
• Monday, January 10, 8:00a to 4:00p

Sign-up for these dates opens in PowerSchool starting tomorrow, so you can book your appointment well ahead of time. It will remain open throughout the break to schedule as you are able. We’ll send a reminder in the days prior as well.

Please watch for any other announcements of update through the break, which will be sent as we learn more about all factors to be considered.

Testing at School on Friday

We had a survey for pre-signup for travel based testing on Friday, December 17th. Notification of times associated with that survey have been sent to those individuals and thank you for helping us to determine staffing levels for the day. We have additional capacity on the day between 10:00a and 3:00p, so additional individuals are welcome to come during those times.

Epixpert is offering three services on the day:

• Paperwork for student regular testing – you need to request this from Epixpert and they can provide confirmation of negative test based on student normal testing. There is no fee for this service, but you must request in advance and we must know if students need to be tested on Friday rather than their normal day on Thursday, where applicable. Documentation for travel can be provided.
• Antigen Testing – Can be provided on demand. Results and paperwork confirming negative test are provided as part of the service and will be available same day.
• PCR Testing – Can be provided on demand. Results will be available next day and can be downloaded with the information provided.

If you have other requests, you need to contact Epixpert directly by speaking to them in our main lobby tomorrow between 8a and 10a. You can also consult the information on their website for other options: https://www.epixpert.org

A shout of thanks to all who have been busy decorating our facilities to put us in a bit of festive spirit. Many thanks to PTO for their amazing work in all of our entrances and areas, brightening our days with decoration and holiday cheer. A big shout out as well to our Facilities and Maintenance Division for their efforts with lighting outside and inside the school and all of the additional efforts to make our campus capture the spirit of the season!

We have a few days remaining before we head off into the long holiday vacation. We’ll do what we can to tie up all of the loose ends before we take another well deserved break.

Vaccination – Ages 5-11

We have confirmation that vaccine rollout for Ages 5-11 is set for Wednesday, December 15. Based on meetings today, we believe we can be ready and would keep the 16th as a backup date in case of any unforeseen problem. The sign up for vaccination is still open and you need to pre-register. We’ll send everyone a confirmation of time on Monday to get ready for our day. Here is the open form (deadline is Friday):

https://forms.gle/yLSqvvdtGcumaanB8

Testing on December 17

The form for showing interest in COVID testing at school on December 17 is still open so that Epixpert can plan their staffing accordingly. Documentation for student testing can also be provided, but please fill out the interest form for the whole family so that work load can be estimated. The form for showing your interest is here (deadline is Monday):

https://forms.gle/Pan4u1jmwkQC6oB76

We will not be open for testing after Friday. While we will maintain a minimized schedule for testing of staff during the vacation, we will not be open for public testing. Testing is generally available and you can also fine convenient options for testing with Epixpert via their website: https://epixpert.org/store/

Planning for After the Vacation

We currently have a draft plan for after the vacation and would like your feedback before confirming this plan next week. With your feedback, we’ll begin set up of our usual systems and Crisis Team will review your input before confirming.

We plan to have full school re-entry testing as would normally be the case. Currently this plan would include family-based testing appointments for students starting on Saturday, January 8th, and Sunday, January 9th. Students who are green in OK4School based on weekend testing could return to school on Monday, January 10th.

We would also have testing available for students all day on Monday, but those testing on Monday would not be able to return to school until Tuesday morning. After that, we return to normal re-entry testing for any remaining students on a daily basis between 8a and 10a.

Under current status, we would continue twice per week testing during the first week back, so the second test would be on Thursday and Friday for the whole school.

We welcome your thoughts and would appreciate your comments on our feedback form. I’ve added a question temporarily for this about our return from vacation plan for your input. That form is here:

https://forms.gle/Ei8kQQ8gicDQ7wNZ9

Previous Booster Event for Adults

After a problem with the Polish registry system, 99% of the records from our booster shot event are now in the system. The staff at Vaxmed apologize for the delay while the system was done, but all is now done. Please reach out to Vaxmed if you need any further assistance on documentation of this prior event.