January 22, 2021 – We hope you have had a pleasant start to the new year. On campus and virtually, we have enjoyed welcoming our students back to school and finishing the end of the semester. We are extremely grateful for the flexibility and support of our families and students. We could never have gotten to this point without you.
As winter gets underway, we will inevitably face inclement weather in the form of high winds and rain. As you know, we currently spend most of our days outside learning under tents and shade structures. This will suit us fine for light drizzle, but it will not serve us well in a major rain event. We also enjoy outdoor snacks and meals, which are one of the times students can remove their masks in a safe and well-ventilated area. Following our Roadmap to Reopening, we agree it is safest to continue to enjoy our meals outdoors, but doing so in a rainstorm would not be feasible..
As such, we have developed an early dismissal plan for days when we may experience heavy rain and other inclement weather. Because the dining hall is the greatest exposure point with masks off, we have created a schedule that maintains in-person learning in the morning, but augments the school day to eliminate the need to serve lunch on campus. To ensure students are fed and comfortable, we will serve two morning snacks. Teachers will stagger students eating outside, undercover, to ensure safe distancing while masks are off.
For our “Rain Day” plan, students will arrive at the normal time in the morning and attend class until approximately 12:00 p.m. when the school day will end.
The dismissal schedule will be staggered as follows:
PK & Kindergarten 12:00 p.m.
1st- 3rd 12:10 p.m.
4th-5th 12:15 p.m.
6th-8th 12:20 p.m.
We understand this plan requires some coordination and advanced notice to families. . When a major rain event approaches, we will assess the weather reports. If the forecast is likely to interrupt food service, we will enact the Rain Plan and notify families, ideally the evening before the rain event. Students will then come to school as normal and leave at their staggered times. There will be no after-care on days with a rain event.
We know that an early dismissal may be inconvenient for some families, but we hope you see it as the best option when the rain makes social distancing a greater challenge. Rest assured we will be vigilant and enact the Rain Plan only when necessary.
As a final reminder, please make sure your children are appropriately attired with raincoats, boots, umbrellas, and warm clothes in the event of inclement weather. Ensuring the students are well prepared for rain and cold is the best way we can keep them comfortable and safe!
Thank you for your support.
