Digital Learning Days Update

March 27, 2020

 

Dear CCES Family:

As we complete Week Two of DLD, we have cleared the fourteen-day transmission bar since we closed the campus on March 13. The transition has been remarkably successful. The cooperation and patience of all participants account for this nearly uninterrupted learning continuum. Students have been incredibly resilient, teachers amazingly resourceful and dedicated, and parents have been understanding and collaborative. I extend a special thanks to Angela Allen for coordinating the transition and managing the overall DLD program and to Melissa Hughes for painstakingly and cheerfully training our team on that digital platform and constantly checking, updating, and troubleshooting. Everyone has learned a lot about his or her capacity to turn on a dime and make the most of a tough situation. Bravo, all splendid Cavaliers!

Now, the norm of digital learning has taken hold. I am hopeful that the workload for all participants, parents included, will normalize as we enter Week Three. We are working on finding the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning and a realistic throughline of rigor. We know that parents need a break as well. We are fine tuning. Your feedback will help us get the metrics right.

Last weekend we reported our first cases of confirmed transmission. I commend the parents who stepped forward in very difficult circumstances to report news of infection. These families reacted quickly and communicated immediately upon notification from medical providers. Their disclosure to the school reflected admirable civic responsibility. They were looking out for others as they were contending with their own illness and the illness of a child. They also contacted other parents whose children had interacted socially with the infected student. We reported to the community because these cases were the first confirmations of infection with the Covid-19 virus in our school community of which we were aware. 

At this juncture, unless there is a “need to know” urgency, I will defer to public health agencies to keep us informed and instruct us about how best to respond to this pandemic.

Please respect the CDC instructions to limit transmission of the virus:

I urge you to inform those outside of your family with whom you have been in contact if you are symptomatic. “Shelter at home” is critical and within your control. Everyone makes a contribution to the general good. We need to be unified in our efforts to expel this insidious intruder.

I am beholden to a large roster of physicians who have advised me and clarified my understanding. We are immensely fortunate to have these dedicated, talented, compassionate, and wise people serving us 24/7.

We monitor CDC, DHEC, and WHO advisories. Our aim is to protect health while preserving hope. We will take extensions of digital learning in two to three week increments, allowing for the possibility of a credible all-clear. Not a likely prospect but we are unwilling to give up the possibility of a return to campus until it’s a necessity. As a non-public school, we are not subject to the sovereignty that the state wields over public schools. You will note that the latest statement from Governor McMaster and Superintendent Spearman asked the public to “prepare” for an extension of closure and offered the assurance that public schools would re-open in April if possible. As we noted in our correspondence on the 23rd, we are extending DLD through April 13 and will re-evaluate during the week of April 6.

I dearly hope that we flatten the curve soon and yearn for the restoration of our cherished normal routines.

Keep the faith, my friends. We are a great team on the same playing field with a common purpose. Cavaliers persist!

Yours very truly,

Dr. Leonard Kupersmith
Head of School