Dear GFA Community,
In light of the rapidly shifting nature of the situation regarding COVID-19, and after consultation with our school's medical team, peer schools, and local public and health officials, Greens Farms Academy will be closing school and canceling all classes and after-school activities on Thursday and Friday (March 12-13). We have made this decision in an effort to keep our community healthy and to participate in a local and national effort to contain the spread of the virus. There have been no known or suspected cases of COVID-19 at Greens Farms Academy.
This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, to give an opportunity for faculty members to become more proficient in distance learning techniques, to deep-clean the facilities, and with the recognition that many of our area public and independent schools have made similar decisions in recent days.
Plans for Return and Other Updates
Here are some updates on plans for after our return from Spring Break.
- Given that GFA faculty members will have benefitted from two days of training on our distance learning protocol tomorrow and Friday, we will restart student instruction on Tuesday, March 31. Last week, we announced a plan to reserve that day for faculty development, but given the time we will spend this week we feel it is important to get the kids back into class engagement. If you have concerns or have made other plans please be in touch.
- Our Coyle Scholar events with Dr. Jonathan Haidt including his 7 p.m. talk, "What's Happening with Gen Z: How to Make Our Kids Smarter and Stronger" has been postponed and will be moved to the fall. We will be in touch closer to the date with a link to RSVP. We appreciate your understanding. This is in response to the governor's urging to cancel all events yielding over 100 people.
- Grandparents and Special Visitors Day, originally scheduled for April 24, has long been a GFA tradition our Lower and Middle school families hold dear. Unfortunately, it is also one that invites visitors who are more vulnerable to COVID-19 to interact with students and, in many cases, involves advanced planning and travel. We have decided to postpone this annual event to May 22. Times and activities will remain unchanged.
Your family plans for travel over break
At this time GFA does not have any plans to mandate a quarantine for families who have traveled domestically or internationally. We may later ask you to tell us where you traveled before our return to school on March 31. That said, if you have traveled or have plans to travel to countries the CDC has identified as high-risk and codified Levels 2 or 3 (currently that includes China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, and Japan) please do email Kathleen Raby, R.N., directly. We thank you in advance for offering this critical information to ensure the safety of our community. While not ideal, anyone returning from a Level 3 area may be asked to avoid visiting campus for 14 days after their return to the U.S. Our guidance on that will come from local and national health agencies. We leave your personal travel decision-making to you and trust that you will take the recommended steps to stay safe in the process. Should students or immediate families be exposed to the virus, the decision to quarantine lies with local and national health officials.
Plans for distance learning
Our academic teams have been working diligently in the past few weeks to develop and test plans for ongoing distance learning for all grade levels. While the learning will undoubtedly feel different from the traditional classroom experience, we feel confident that students will remain engaged in a meaningful process of learning for any days we are closed.
Forthcoming communication from each division head will delve into the details of accessing classes and content, but generally speaking, we feel that maintaining a balanced routine is an essential part of success in distance learning. Depending on the class, grade level, and teacher, instruction will take on a variety of forms but will likely start off with instructions from our teachers, the assignment of an activity or coursework, and the expectation that students will show progress on their work. Teachers will regularly conduct office hours for students and their families. Healthy maintenance of contact, responsiveness, and routine will be critical to making this a positive and productive experience. Lower School students will be given fully loaded iPads and fifth graders will receive laptops to access necessary instructional platforms. Students grades 6-12 will use their laptops. Students and families should test access to Powerschool as that will be the primary gateway to lessons and communication.
Enhanced cleaning protocols
The GFA maintenance team has increased the frequency of cleaning high-touch points in the schools with Oxivir wipes and Spartan TB-Cide disinfectant spray. We have also solicited professional cleaners to treat the building with an electromagnetic disinfectant mist that kills virus germs on all hard surfaces and added a supplemental three-man crew to apply disinfectant every night, wiping down high-touch points such as light switches, tabletops, handrails, and door handles.
For more information, including protocol for the athletics facilities, vans, and other transportation services, please visit the Parent Portal.
Dismissal
Students will be dismissed at the regular time today, and as of now, we intend to resume instruction — on campus or virtually — on Tuesday, March 31. Our GFA response team will continue to connect regularly over break. We will monitor the situation actively, adjust plans if necessary, and be in regular contact should that happen. Remember to refer to the Parent Portal page dedicated to our communication around COVID-19 for updates and resources.
In many ways, we are fortunate for the timing of our upcoming break. While we had hoped to make it through this week at school, our ability to stay nimble and prioritize community health is paramount. As the adults in our children's lives, our ability to model reason and rationality amidst a backdrop of uncertainty and anxiety is not unnoticed by our children. We hope that you enjoy your break and that it offers you a chance to unplug and restore. It may be just what the doctor ordered.
With appreciation, Bob Whelan 'P24 Head of School |