Dear Parents,

 

I hope you have all had a chance to review your sons' schedules, the Student Parent Handbook, and the other information that was sent in last week's email. Today I am writing to present you with an overview of the current version of our back to school plan which you can find here. I would ask that all parents and students try to find some time over the next week to go through this important information. Please note that we will continue to receive more guidance and find new and creative ways to address various concerns as the summer progresses, so this plan is subject to change. That said, we believe the essential elements are in place and unlikely to evolve significantly. At this time we still plan to proceed with an in-person return to school in August unless we receive guidance to the contrary from the Douglas County Health Department.

In addition to reading through our return to school plan, I would also like to invite you to watch this video. Mrs. Beth Kramer, President of the Prep Families Association, moderates a panel conversation with Dr. Dan Johnson, Dr. Sharon Stoolman, and me in which we respond to the many medically-related questions that we received from parents, faculty, and staff. Topics discussed include masks, modes of virus transmission, impact of COVID-19 on different age groups, contact tracing and quarantine procedures, community spread and school closures, mental health and emotional wellbeing, co-curricular programming, and the importance of flexibility, care, and compassion. There is a lot here that will help you understand the scientific and medical reasoning behind the different elements of our back to school plan.

Finally, we understand that not every family will be comfortable with the idea of their Prepster returning to in-person school for a wide variety of reasons. If you think that it would be best for your son(s) to go with the fully remote option in August, we would ask that you please take a few moments to fill out this form. No one is locked into the remote option. Completing this form is an expression of interest only so that we can learn more about your circumstances and begin the planning process with you. Anyone who starts with the remote option will be able to switch to in-person at any time. Likewise, anyone who starts in-person can switch to remote-only if needed. For planning purposes, it would be helpful for everyone who believes they will pursue the remote-only option to complete this form as soon as possible–preferably no later than August 1.

We will continue to communicate updates and more specific information about our return to school as we move into August. Until then, if you have any questions or concerns you can always email us or call us at 402-393-1190.

 

AMDG,

Mr. Jim Bopp
Head of School