Dear Parents and Guardians,
Earlier today, Governor Wolf extended the statewide school closure through the end of the current academic year. That, of course, means that WT will continue with our E-Learning Plan for the duration of the 2019-2020 school year.
While not unexpected, this is not the news anyone wanted to hear. As I have noted in previous communications to you, the school experience goes beyond academic achievement. The social-emotional development, the moment-to-moment personal interactions, the milestone traditions, athletics, fine arts, and so much more fill a school year with a lifetime of memories. We are now challenged to find new ways to mark these moments and experiences while being physically apart from one another.
This will be especially difficult news for many of our families for whom their WT journey is coming to an end. Please know that we are already considering how to celebrate and honor these moments. Soon we will engage our students to guide the planning so that these new opportunities have meaning for them. We know that our current virtual reality will not replace what they have expected and for which they have worked so hard. But we are WT, and we will find a way.
As we move down this uncharted path, my reflections regularly turn to how these events are impacting our children, from our youngest to our oldest. This will have an impact on our children for many years to come. If you have any concerns about your child, please let us know, and we will provide support services to help them process this in developmentally appropriate ways.
As you have heard from our Division Directors, the e-learning program is going well, and we continue to iterate it based on feedback that we're receiving from faculty, students, and parents. My next communication will provide a survey for you to complete to give us important data so that we may continue to evolve our e-learning approach. Additionally, we will soon communicate a plan for families to collect any personal belongings from classrooms, lockers, and cubbies.
I am so grateful to you for your support and for continuing to entrust your children to us in this challenging time. Please know that we are here to support you and your family in any way that we can.
Be well,
Scott