COVID-19 Archive of Communications

Dear Parents,

I would also like to give you an update on the status of our school closure. As you probably already know, the Maryland State Superintendent of Schools announced this morning that she is extending the school closure mandate (originally set to end on March 27) through April 24. We will, of course, follow that mandate, meaning that we will continue to follow the Distance Learning Plan we launched this week through at least Friday, April 24. The State Superintendent will continue to monitor the virus and determine in the coming weeks whether to reopen schools in-person on April 27 or extend the closure.

I hope this email finds you all well and beginning to enjoy your evening routine after a long day of work and “Seneca at Home!” I want to start by thanking all of you not just for your patience in these first three days of remote learning, but also for being willing to attend our remote “What to Expect/How to Survive” Meet-Ups. It is truly heartwarming to see how you all come together as a community to support each other as well as to partner with us in doing the best we can for your children in these challenging times. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate every single one of you!

I know that this is not the outcome that any of us would prefer, but it certainly is the prudent way to proceed to ensure the safety of our families, friends and fellow citizens. Please know that we understand how difficult this is on all of you, as you juggle not just the demands of your own lives, but the added complication of having your children at home rather than at school. As I stated at each of the parent Meet-Ups, it is our fundamental priority for our Distance Learning Plan to provide you with a balanced program that, first and foremost, supports the social-emotional well-being of your children as well as your own. We believe that if we start with that and with ensuring that your children can stay connected with their teachers and their peers, we will all be okay in the end. As we forge through the next weeks and master each new step of teaching remotely, our teachers will begin adding new layers to the program. I strongly encourage you to be in touch and to attend our weekly Meet-Ups. (We will send out Zoom links later this week.) Your feedback is crucial to helping us find the right balance that works for our community and for each of your families. 

These are most certainly unprecedented times and I know that the road ahead may be a difficult one. Please know that the Seneca village is strong and ready to support you. “Just call out and we’ll be there!” I am looking forward to the day that this is over and we can come together in person to celebrate with each other.

Until then, be well and stay in touch.

In friendship,
Dr. Parker

Dear Parents,

I hope that you have been able to enjoy today’s beautiful weather with your children and that, in the midst of all the chaos around us, the emergence of spring still feels somewhat uplifting! I know that I am very much looking forward to heading home and enjoying a walk with Ellie!

This has been both an amazing week as well as an incredibly difficult one! The Seneca Team spent the entire week reimagining how we might provide the essence of a Seneca education from afar. We spent time honing in on what we feel is essential for the kids, both in terms of their social-emotional well-being as well as their academic journeys. We brainstormed how we might engage them in ways that those needs could be met at a distance. We experimented with different platforms, experienced failure, dealt with frustrations, supported each other, and finally settled on a plan that we feel is worthy of trying out next week.

Below you will find a link to the Seneca Academy Distance Learning Plan, which will provide you with the overarching framework of our plan. Monday morning, you will all receive an e-mail from your teacher providing you with more specifics for each grade, including the plan for that day. Please note that OUR goal for Monday is to try out new ways for teachers and students to engage with each other in learning. Although there will be activities and lesson plans, we will be focused on getting kids and families settled in new routines and experimenting with a variety of protocols. With the younger kids especially, we understand that parents will need to have some involvement but that they will also have competing demands. Older kids, on the other hand, may be able to work more independently while still requiring some oversight. Our goal for the week is to begin to strike a balanced approach that works for everyone. We hope that you will be able to hold onto a growth mindset and encourage the same in your children as we go through this journey together!

On a very personal note, the most trying times for me this week in terms of hanging on to my growth mindset have been around learning how to use information technology in ways I had never imagined. Throughout the week, we will be experimenting with using Google Classroom with your children in a variety of ways. Kindergarten and 1^st grade will begin with their experimentation later in the week. 2^nd-5^th, however, will begin working with the platform on Monday. In order to help you and your child familiarize yourselves with the platform, especially with logging in, you will be receiving an e-mail from Bethany Beams with your child’s login information. PLEASE keep in mind that your kids are NOT expected to, nor do we want them to, do any work over the weekend other than practicing logging in and logging out of their accounts. If you have any technical difficulties, please e-mail Bethany Beams at support@senecastudent.org.

Finally, we know that settling into a new “normal” will also be hard on you and that we will be needing your input to figure out the balanced way forward. In addition to the plan for your children, I would also like to offer you the opportunity to meet up virtually with me for grade-specific “What to Expect/How to Survive” sessions. We will send you a conference invitation early next week, but for now, the schedule for these will be as follows:
4^th and 5^th  grade: Tuesday, March 24, at 9:30 am
2^nd and 3^rd grade: Tuesday, March 24, at 3:30 pm
Kindergarten and 1^st grade: Wednesday, March 25, at 3:30 pm

I want to end by asking you to join me in thanking our wonderful teachers for the heroic efforts they put forth this week in transforming themselves and the program in ways that two weeks ago would have been unimaginable for us! I am incredibly proud of how they have demonstrated being flexible and open-minded thinkers as well as balanced and reflective risk-takers. It has indeed been a humbling experience for me to work beside them this week! I hope you all enjoy your weekends and I look forward to beginning this new adventure with you Monday morning! Until then, be well and stay healthy.

In friendship,
Dr. Parker

Dear Parents,

I hope that you have been able to enjoy today’s beautiful weather with your children and that, in the midst of all the chaos around us, the emergence of spring still feels somewhat uplifting! I know that I am very much looking forward to heading home and enjoying a walk with Ellie!

This has been both an amazing week as well as an incredibly difficult one! The Seneca Team spent the entire week reimagining how we might provide the essence of a Seneca education from afar. We spent time honing in on what we feel is essential for the kids, both in terms of their social-emotional well-being as well as their academic journeys. We brainstormed how we might engage them in ways that those needs could be met at a distance. We experimented with different platforms, experienced failure, dealt with frustrations, supported each other, and finally settled on a plan that we feel is worthy of trying out next week.

Below you will find a link to the Seneca Academy Distance Learning Plan, which will provide you with the overarching framework of our plan. In the next day or so, you will all receive an e-mail from your teacher providing you with information about how to connect to Zoom and with a time slot for your child’s first remote Morning Meeting experience. Following that first morning meeting, which will occur on your child’s first regularly scheduled class period, your teacher will send via e-mail a set of activities to be done at home within a schedule that works best for your families. Please note that OUR goal for that first day, depending on your child’s regular schedule, is to try out new ways for teachers and students to engage with each other and with learning materials. We are very mindful that our plans will require parent involvement and that parents will also have competing demands. Our goal for the week is to begin to strike a balanced approach that works for everyone. We hope that you will be able to hold onto a growth mindset and encourage the same in your children as we go through this journey together!

Finally, we know that settling into a new “normal” will also be hard on you and that we will be needing your input to figure out the balanced way forward. In addition to the plan for your children, I would also like offer you the opportunity to meet up virtually with me for grade-specific “What to Expect/How to Survive” sessions. We will send you a conference invitation early next week, but for now, the schedule for these will be as follows:
3’s: Tuesday, March 24, at 1:00 pm
4’s: Tuesday, March 24, at 4:30 pm
2’s: Wednesday, March 25, at 1:00 pm

I want to end by asking you to join me in thanking our wonderful teachers for the heroic efforts they put forth this week in transforming themselves and the program in ways that two weeks ago would have been unimaginable for us! I am incredibly proud of how they have demonstrated being flexible and open-minded thinkers as well as balanced and reflective risk-takers. It has indeed been a humbling experience for me to work beside them this week! I hope you all enjoy your weekends and I look forward to beginning this new adventure with you Monday morning! Until then, be well and stay healthy.

In friendship,
Dr. Parker

Dear Seneca Families,

In response to the announcement regarding public schools issued by the Maryland State Government, as well as input from the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools, Seneca Academy will be closing, effective Tuesday, March 17^th (Monday, March 16^th is a scheduled holiday), for a minimum of two weeks. Preschool classes that typically meet on Friday will meet tomorrow as scheduled. We do understand, however, if parents decide that it is best for their family for their child to remain home. Elementary conferences will also proceed as scheduled although, once again, we understand if any parents would feel more comfortable rescheduling. If that is the case, please let us know ASAP since we will be sending home materials with parents at conferences and will need to make alternative arrangements for parents who will not be attending.

As per my initial e-mail regarding our COVID-19 response, we will be taking the first 4 days of unplanned missed school as “snow days.” During that time, our faculty will be finalizing plans for distance learning that are feasible, meaningful, and age-appropriate. We will not have specific expectations for students that week. As always, we hope that you will continue to read with younger children and encourage older ones to read on their own. On Monday, March 23^rd, we will begin to implement our distance learning plan, which will be shared with you by the end of next week.

Between now and March 23^rd, we encourage you to check your supply of the following items in your home:

• Internet connection*
• An iPad, computer, or smartphone*
• Printer* and paper
• Basic school supplies, such as pencils, markers/crayons/colored pencils, scissors, and glue sticks

* If you have concerns about access to the internet or a device, please let us know so we can support and/or modify our approach.

I can’t emphasize enough how much we greatly appreciate your support and cooperation, particularly during this unsettling and quickly evolving state of affairs. We will continue to communicate with you about any decisions made and to work with each of you as we work to implement this very unprecedented plan of action. Ultimately, our goal is to support you and your children in the best ways that we can. In the meantime, PLEASE do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. These are truly uncharted waters, but I know that if we support each other, this is a “village” that is strong and can weather the storm!

In friendship,
Dr. Parker

Dear Parents,

I am writing to give you an update on our COVID-19 planning. As per my previous emails, we are very closely monitoring the updates and evolving recommendations from the CDC, MD DHHS, as well as from AIMS and NAIS. In addition, we are closely following how the Independent Schools in our area, many of whom will be going on Spring Break next week, are responding to family travel plans.

Based on updated guidance from the CDC, we are reiterating to families with any international travel planned that they should be reviewing the CDC’s travel advisories and country risk levels frequently. Per these recommendations, we are asking anyone with travel plans involving CDC Levels 2 & 3 countries to contact the school as soon as possible. The CDC is telling anyone returning from a Level 3 country (currently China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea) to observe a 14-day self-quarantine. Anyone coming from a Level 2 country (currently, Japan) should monitor their health and limit interactions with others.

In the last 48 hours, the CDC has also issued the following new guidance for individuals who have traveled on a cruise ship in the last 14 days (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/covid-19-cruise-ship):

• “Monitor your health and limit interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the United States.
• If a case of COVID-19 was reported on your ship during the cruise, stay home during these 14 days and practice social distancing.
• Stay home if you feel sick with fever, cough, or have trouble breathing and call ahead before you seek medical care
• Seek medical advice. Call ahead before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room. Tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.”

Based on this guidance, we are asking any family returning from a cruise to observe the recommendation to limit interactions with others for 14 days. This would include refraining from coming to school during that period. We ask that any family that has either been on a cruise in the last 14 days or is planning a cruise in the near future contact the school so that we can make plans to accommodate and support any child who will need to miss school to comply with the CDC guidelines.

Finally, I wanted to let you know that, in addition to our already enhanced daily cleaning of the school, we will also be taking advantage of the already scheduled day off on Monday the 16th to do an extra deep cleaning following suggested protocols.

As always, please know that the health and well being of our village is our utmost priority. We will, of course, continue to monitor things carefully and update you as things evolve. In the meantime, please stay safe, practice healthy precautions, and let us know if anyone in your immediate family becomes symptomatic and/or is diagnosed with the virus.

In friendship,
Dr. Parker

Dear Parents,

In light of the recent announcement that there are 3 confirmed cases of travel-related COVID-19 in Montgomery County, I wanted to give you a quick update on our plans should a shutdown of the school be required.

We are closely monitoring the guidance being issued by MCPS and the Maryland Department of Health and Human Services about school responses and closures. If a system-wide call for closure is issued, we will follow that guidance. It is also possible that the County will not issue a system-wide recommendation, but that schools in individual communities that become affected might be asked to close. In the event that a community nearby is affected by that, we will work with DHHS to determine an appropriate course of action for our school. In the event that a member of our community is diagnosed with the virus, however, we will preemptively close school.

Should a school closure be necessary, we will treat the first four days of closure as “snow days.” During that time, we will be working with our teachers to develop developmentally-appropriate plans for the possibility of an extended closure that might require us to provide distance learning. For our preschool families, this will likely just be suggestions of games and activities that parents and caregivers might do with their children to support their development, including fostering inquiry. For our elementary students, we will be developing age-appropriate lessons that can be done from home to support skill development as well as their units of inquiry. We are also exploring ways in which we might leverage accessible and child-friendly apps and platforms to facilitate teacher instruction and guidance, as well as collaboration between students.

For now, we will continue with our efforts to minimize the spread of all germs, both in the school and within the community. As I asked in my last letter, please continue to encourage good health practices, including frequent hand-washing with soap, and to keep your children home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness. In addition, please advise us if anyone in your immediate family is diagnosed with COVID-19 or will be returning from travel in high-risk areas (see the CDC’s information for travel).

Once again, thank you for your patience as we continue to figure out the way to keep everyone in our village safe and healthy. As I have more information, I will be sharing that with you. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Take care of yourselves and enjoy your weekends!

Dr. Parker

Dear Seneca Parents,

I am writing to provide you with some information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and Seneca Academy’s efforts to ensure the health and safety of students while on campus. The CDC issued an update on February 29 to the American public on the current status of COVID-19 that states, “Most people in the United States will have little immediate risk of exposure to this virus. This virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the United States.” The Montgomery County Health Department also reported that as of today, March 2, “there have been no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia.”

We do recognize, though, that there has been widespread concern across schools in our area and around the country and we wanted you to know that we are continually monitoring recommendations and advice from the CDC, the Montgomery County Health Department, NAIS, and AIMS. We also want you to know what we are doing to ensure the safety of our children, families, and staff.

At this point, we are focusing primarily on prevention. As a school, we are strictly following our already existent health practices and, in some cases, enhancing them to accommodate the information we are receiving about this particular virus. We are continuing to adhere to our strict hand-washing policy, including encouraging the use of soap, which is apparently more effective with this virus than alcohol-based solvents. Our teachers are also increasing the frequency with which they sterilize toys and surfaces in the classrooms and are being encouraged to use soap as well as our typical disinfectants. Finally, together with our cleaning staff, we are being extra-vigilant about the cleaning of shared surfaces, like doorknobs and banisters.

Although we know that nothing is foolproof, we hope that these practices, which adhere to the guidelines provided by the CDC for schools, will go a long way towards mitigating the sharing of germs within our community. AIMS and NAIS are also currently working on guidance for all independent schools should a case be diagnosed within a school community or in the broader area. We hope that we do not have to implement any of these plans but please know that we are doing everything we can and consulting daily with experts to protect your children and our village.

We also ask that each of you help us in protecting the “village” by following these recommended measures for the prevention of infectious diseases:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for atleast 20 seconds, or use alcohol-based hand rub if soap is unavailable;
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands;
• Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.

If your child has symptoms of illness:

• Keep them home during the first days of illness when symptoms are most severe and the infection is most contagious;
• If they have a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, they should remain home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours;
• When coughing and sneezing, encourage them to cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue. Throw tissue away immediately and wash hands.

As I said above, we will continue to update you as more details emerge from the CDC and Department of Health. We have placed a digital copy of this letter and links to the resources below on our website for your convenience. In the meantime, please follow the preventative measures outlined above. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

In friendship,

Michelle Parker, Ph.D.
Head of School