Dear Parents and Guardians,
One does not have to look far for information regarding the rapidly evolving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We are receiving regular updates and recommendations for preparations from both the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Even this week as member schools attended the annual conference, NAIS pulled together a session on how schools should respond and communicate.
This outbreak, and our need to think proactively about how it could impact school life, reinforces a reality that I've been considering deeply with respect to our strategic design initiatives: We need to be able to deliver instruction other than through the traditional classroom approach–we need to "re-imagine learning and rethink time and space."
And so, while this work in general is underway in many different parts of our school, I have convened a separate task force to specifically develop a plan to accomplish this for more immediate, short-term, and, perhaps, emergency situations. The task force will develop a framework for us to carry out our classwork in such cases, and will also provide "best practices" and venues for professional development in this area.
As we, as a nation and as a world, work through this particular outbreak, I urge us all to remember that viruses know no borders nor racial/ethnic segmentation and the emergence of COVID-19 should not be a source of division anywhere, and most certainly not at WT.
On a more practical note, rest assured that we have in place very thorough guidelines for cleaning all hard surfaces in the school. We will continue to be diligent in this work. And, I would be remiss if I didn't reinforce what we've been saying all flu season: One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of any virus is to wash your hands. It sounds simple, but it's true. Please talk with your children about the ways they can avoid transmitting sicknesses, and if your children are sick, please keep them home from school until they are feeling better. Our school nurses are carefully monitoring this situation, and they are available to assist with your child's health.
Finally, please be aware that we have proactively canceled school-sponsored Spring Break trips to China and Italy, and we suggest that members of our community abide by any travel restrictions implemented by the CDC or State Department.
We will communicate additional information as it becomes available. As you are doing your own research about the virus, I have found the following organizations to be helpful:
Allegheny County Health Department
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering Global Map
Best Regards,