Zimplicity!

Each year, usually a bit earlier, we sum up the recruiting season and update the community about the changes for the next school year. You will find our page of departing and new staff updated and ready for your review. The nature of international schools is the constant movement of our population in and out of the school at all levels. For students, we average about 10-12% turnover each year. Staff turnover is about the same with age and adventure calling to some in our midst to take on either retirement (or re-invention) or a new challenge somewhere in the world.

Our update page is here: https://zimplicity.org/asw-new-facultyadmin/

We have a wonderful team of recruiters here that have scoured the planet for our new colleagues. My thanks to their diligence and talent in this regard. We look forward to welcoming all of our new Warriors in August. Similarly, in June we will bid farewell to some of our current Warriors. But, in the midst of our tears, we’ll remind them as we always do – Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior!!

A New Partnership

We are excited to announce a new partnership today in our preparations and planning for our August opening. We have concluded an agreement with Epixpert to coordinate with us on our practices and planning for our August 18 opening! Epixpert is a leading company in risk mitigation for effective organizational planning and installations under sanitary requirements and beyond. They will be completing a comprehensive audit of our plans and facilities advising us on final regulations and upgrades that will be needed in the Fall. Based on those recommendations, we will be proceeding with facility work in preparation for our opening day. We’re excited to have this team as esteemed colleagues and strategic partners in our planning and preparation. I’ll talk about this more tonight at our Facebook Live Town Hall. For now, you can get familiar with them here:

We are busy developing our plans for August and, on the heels of further government announcements today, satisfied with our approach and decisions to date in preparation for these next steps. One key piece is the structural approach to our planning and that can be seen in an early version of our planning arenas here:

To support this ongoing work of the administration, the board adopted in recent sessions the following resolution, now for community consideration. This action demonstrates support for the administration in providing an operational plan that will assure our August opening as projected. We’re excited and supported by this approach:

American School of Warsaw
Resolution of the Board of Trustees

Whereas there is a current health crisis that emerged as a result of a global pandemic,

And, whereas the Board of Trustees has reviewed relevant literature as provided by the Administration with regards to the current and ongoing health and well-being risks associated with schooling for the foreseeable future,

And, whereas there are complex government requirements in place and as adjusted over time,

Therefore, the Board of Trustees…

…supports plans and actions that are consistent with government direction following the edicts of governmental agencies regarding closure and other stipulations that may be announced and implemented.

…directs adherence to Core Values, Mission, and Vision in the development of plans associated with school operations going forward.

…directs the administration to develop agile plans in consultation with health experts in our community and more broadly in their planning for actions and procedures associated with the closing and opening of school on whatever basis is recommended or directed.

…directs the administration to review legal ramifications of decisions and confirm the requirements of all parties to proceed under existing or proposed contractual instruments and/or amendments.

…directs the administration to consider plans associated with ensuring staff and student safety that balances age-appropriate practices with guidelines for hygiene and other related methods for reducing the potential spread of disease in the community, now or in the future.

…directs the administration to purchase material and services as may be required for the implementation of plans associated with this crisis.

…recognizes the need to make available up to 15% of emergency reserves to support the planning and execution of the above mitigation and implementation to be allocated by subsequent Board resolutions.

Adopted May, 2020

With this authorization and direction, we will begin sharing our drafts of a comprehensive approach to addressing the ongoing infectious threat. As medical professionals around the world have stated and agreed, this is a long term reality that must be met with distinctive change in practice to minimize risk and promote health and safety for all in the community. ASW is committed to that belief and positive outcomes for all.

I had the lucky opportunity to be cursorily involved in the MUN program this year through my coaching of the MS team and many interactions supporting the ZYGMUN conference. It was a pleasure working with the kids as they prepared for their own conference, but, until we closed, found time to mentor the MS team as well in wonderful training sessions. The following from one of the members, Julia Anting:

For the past three years, ASW has hosted our own MUN conference, the Zygmunt Model United Nations conference here in Warsaw. When the Covid-19 outbreak hit this year and school was canceled we feared we would also have to cancel our conference. But after several weeks of hard work, the ZYGMUN team of students and directors has managed to successfully run a virtual ZYGMUN conference. Run entirely from our homes, the conference consisted of six committees and 150 participants from 33 countries. The positive feedback we’ve received has been overwhelming and it’s our pleasure to share this amazing experience with the rest of the ASW community. To take a look at virtual MUN, please go to the “ZYGMUN Secretariat” youtube page.

More about Model United Nations is HERE

Our thanks to Mr. Julien and Mrs. Smutek-Rusek for coaching at the HS level and for all the leadership that emerged amongst the participants. The kids were inspired and their work was nothing short of exemplary in handling the sessions, the outcomes, and the global reach. Way to go everyone!