March 12, 2020
Dear Parents and Guardians of Ursuline Students,
We are writing to update you on Ursuline's most recent actions with regard to the health crisis brought on by coronavirus (COVID-19). We appreciate your patience as we deal with this evolving situation and are working diligently to keep your daughters and all members of our community safe at this time.
Currently, Ursuline Academy continues to have no suspected or known cases of COVID-19 among our students, faculty, staff, administration, or family members of any of these groups. While we take comfort in the fact that our community is currently healthy, we recognize that circumstances will change rapidly, and we are preparing for various scenarios. Our administrative team is continuously evaluating the situation, is in touch with the state and local Departments of Public Health on a daily basis, and is monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Ongoing Mitigation Efforts:
We have taken the following precautions in order to reduce possible exposure to COVID-19:
- We are evaluating any non-essential community activities. At this point in time, we have canceled the following events:
Accepted Students Reception (March 12):
(a link to the presentations will be sent to accepted students and their parents)
Samaritan Parent Presentation (March 24): (a link to the presentation will be sent to current families)
Mission Day (March 26)
Dad's Drop-Off (April 2)
We will continue to evaluate cancellation or postponement of all activities, including the Prom on April 3. In all instances, we will notify our community of these decisions as soon as possible. - We have canceled all academic field trips and off-campus service trips through March 31.
- We will continue to monitor and amend all service requirements, including those for our seniors, as the situation develops.
- We are canceling non-essential visitors to campus such as alumnae guest speakers and rental of our athletic facilities to outside organizations. Drop-in visitors such as returning young alumnae have been discouraged from returning, and all visitors are being questioned about their possible exposure to coronavirus before entering our buildings.In partnership with our food service provider, SLA Management, we have ensured that all food items are either individually wrapped or distributed using safe practices.
- Our Facilities Team continues to disinfect all high-contact surfaces, such as desktops, tables, doorknobs, handrails, light switches, etc. within our buildings as well as our school vans.
Remote Learning:
In the event of a school closure, and in order to maintain quality instruction to our Ursuline students, we will be using our learning management system, Google Classroom, a familiar tool that was designed with collaboration between teachers and students in mind. By relying on tools that Ursuline uses daily, students and teachers will feel at ease in teaching and learning, even though they are remote from the campus.
Content will be made available so that students can participate asynchronously; Ursuline teachers will not be regularly "live broadcasting" or performing multi-person video chats, and students will not be "dialing in" to watch. Teachers will be available on a consistent basis to provide clarification, extra help, and to ensure that academic progress continues.
Katherine Ginnetty, Dean of Academics, and Department Heads in conjunction with our Technology group, are planning for a test of our remote learning platform with students on Friday, March 13. Although it is our intent to be in school on Monday, March 16, we ask that our students take all their books and associated academic materials home with them at the end of the day on Friday, March 13.
Safe Health Practices:
In the meantime, to help reduce the spread of illness, including the flu and the common cold, we ask that you partner with us in reinforcing the same preventive measures that we are sharing daily with your daughters.
Specifically:
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and help young children in your family do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve or elbow, but not your hands.
Looking Ahead:
In the event that Ursuline does need to close, whether for a one to two-day span or for longer, we will provide as much advance notice as possible to families via email, text message, or voice message as the situation warrants. Our Administrative Team is meeting daily, and we will continue to update you frequently.
Many families have asked why Ursuline and other elementary and secondary schools are not enacting the same measures as colleges and universities. While we may move to remote learning in the days ahead, our students do not live in the same proximity (attend classes, sleep, eat, socialize in large groups) as those on a college campus.
For members of the community who have concerns about chronic or compromised health conditions, please know that we plan to be as flexible and accommodating as possible with your needs in relation to attendance.
Again, the health and safety of every member of the Ursuline community is our priority; we will continue to work with our local and state agencies to follow best practices. We are grateful for your patience and flexibility. We are aware that the cancellation of activities is bound to be disappointing to our students, but we feel that it is incumbent upon us to place the health of our school community and the wider community in which we live above all else. Please feel free to contact us with any specific concerns about your daughter.
During this time of uncertainty, as we persist and prepare, we would like to thank all faculty and staff who have assisted in our response to this health crisis. We pray that our community is blessed with peace and hope for the future.
Kind regards,