With an unprecedented school year behind us, planning is already well underway for an outstanding 2020-2021 school year at St. John’s Episcopal Parish Day School! The situation surrounding COVID-19 is fluid and likely to remain so. The same is true of our planning. Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education, has stated, “Opening isn’t going to be an event, it will be a process.” All of the current indications suggest his assessment is accurate. St. John’s is very much looking forward to warmly welcoming our students back to school in late-July and August.
Planning Continues
We are approaching the future with excitement and optimism. The focus—albeit not exclusively—of our ongoing, comprehensive planning is the belief we will open to students and staff. It is impossible to eliminate all risks; our goal is to take reasonable steps to mitigate risk presented by the pandemic. We expect to communicate our provisionalSchool Reentry Plan to families in mid-June. Planning will remain adaptable and influenced by current information about the transmission and severity of COVID-19. As St. John’s works to help protect students, teachers, administrators, and staff, the School will determine, in collaboration with state and local health officials and the CDC, how to best prepare to open our campuses to students and staff via steps that are feasible, practical, and tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of our school community.
View the CDC's latest Considerations for Schools (5.19.20).
Additional Important Details
School Start Dates Remain in Place
While subject to possible change, the ‘formal’ opening of school remains as it was on the ‘pre-pandemic’ school calendar, with Tuesday, August 11, the first day of events for students and families, and Wednesday, August 12, the first day of classes.
Dewar Tuition Refund Plan
Given the general economic uncertainty and the passing of the May 1 deadline to withdraw from the enrollment agreement, concerned families may find some peace of mind in the Dewar Tuition Refund Plan. The plan administrator (Dewar) is widely used by independent schools, the terms and premium are set by and paid solely to Dewar, and the plan provides some relief from the tuition obligation should a withdrawal be necessary.
The deadline for plan enrollment is July 31.
'Jump Start' Planning
We are in the process of planning the optional, no-cost ‘Jump Start’ scheduled to begin on July 27. The goal behind ‘Jump Start’ is to provide time before the formal start of school for teachers to work with interested families to address any learning loss associated with remote learning and summer. Our teachers are helping to plan a meaningful program and more details (times, expectations, etc.) will be forthcoming.
In closing, I want to reiterate two very important points. First, St. John’s is fully committed to serving all of our students and delivering our mission, and we are planning to open our campuses to students and staff at the opening of next school year. Second, the situation will continue to evolve over the summer. Uncertainty remains a part of life for all of us, and it is quite possible our planning will shift over the next two months and even after the opening of school. Thank you for your continued support. It makes a positive difference to the tremendous work all of us at St. John’s do on behalf of your children.