Dear LFS Families,
Like schools everywhere, we at Lansdowne Friends School have been assessing the myriad of local, state, and federal guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic to inform our decision-making. Fortunately, with our small student body, our ability to flex our schedule to keep children in small groups throughout the day, and our outdoor spaces, we are in a position to offer a return to on-campus learning this fall.
We are excited about seeing your children and working with them in person; however, we do not take this decision lightly. We know that to teach on campus this fall will require that all of us at school and home follow strict health and safety guidelines. We also are aware that new information and circumstances could quickly alter this plan, and so we are actively working on backup distance learning plans that have us building upon the successes that we had last spring with remote teaching and learning. We are prepared to move seamlessly from one mode to the other, as events dictate.
Either way, in person or remotely if needed, we are fully committed to engaging all children academically, socially, and emotionally--and to fulfilling our mission of providing a challenging educational program guided by Quaker values of respect for all people and peaceful problem solving. We believe that these values are needed more than ever, particularly as our nation grapples with a long history of racial injustice.
All spring and throughout the summer, the administration, faculty, and staff have been planning and preparing for possible eventualities related to the pandemic. When I arrived on July 20, John and the COVID Steering Committee members were already months into assessing ways to deliver our program as safely as possible.
A subcommittee focused on return-to-campus guidelines, made heavy use of guidance from the CDC, the State, CHOP, and the Chester County Health Department, which will directly supervise and consult with us throughout the fall. With input from administrators and teachers across the school, this group has developed a set of LFS Health and Safety Guidelines. While still a working document, the guidelines will address:
READ THE REST OF NEAL'S LETTER
HERE
