Click here for Ben's message from November 1, 2020. Text is below.
November 1, 2020
Dear Sun Valley Community School Families,
Thank you again for your patience and understanding while we have continued the contact tracing process. At this time, those with known direct exposure are currently quarantining. Please know all of our decisions are made in consultation and collaboration with the South Central Public Health District and informed by the CDC guidelines.
Based on the information we have through contact tracing, the programming in the Elementary and Middle Schools are not directly impacted; no direct exposures have been identified at this time. Thus, we will continue with in-person school for both ES and MS. If you would like to move to remote access out of caution, please contact your division head.
Our Upper School will be utilizing the connected-learning model through November 13. After conferring with Upper School faculty and staff yesterday and today, we have decided that Upper School faculty will benefit from a professional development and work day tomorrow (Monday, November 2) to adapt existing lessons for the online format. We believe this will ultimately benefit the student experience over the next two weeks. Students are encouraged to use tomorrow as a day to catch up on homework and projects. Students who need support from their teachers during this preparation day should reach out via email to coordinate with them. Starting on Tuesday, the Upper School will follow this revised schedule for this first week of connected learning.
I know that this situation is stressful for each of us and a challenge for the overall community in many ways. I want to send my best to all those who have tested positive, and I want you to know that you are in our thoughts. I also want to remind all of us that a virus like COVID doesn’t care about what’s fair; it doesn’t care about the plans we have or our intentions. COVID is indiscriminate, and any one of us could have been among the first identified cases within the school this fall. It is important that we treat each other with respect and empathy and remember that we are all in this together. I know we will band together to lift each other up. I know we will reach out in support and care for one another. I know we are strong, and we will emerge stronger on the other side of this.
Thank you for your trust and your support,
Ben Pettit, Head of School
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PLEASE REMEMBER:
- If anyone in your household feels ill (even slightly), call (208.309.1427) or email our Health Services Coordinator, Anne Marie Gardner. She is a vital resource for our community and can help you take the necessary steps to protect yourself and others.
- If ANY member of your household is awaiting a COVID test, please quarantine your entire household until you find out the results of the pending test. This is a very important step in preventing the spread of COVID in our family-based school.
- For more information on active cases, the contact-tracing process, and the definition of “exposure,” please see our COVID-19 Dashboard page on the website.
- Please continue to fill out the Healthy Roster survey even if you are not attending school in person.
- Be kind. Be supportive. Be empathetic. In other words, be a Cutthroat!