Dear Parents and Guardians
As I indicated in my newsletter on Friday, I would await recommendations from I.S.A.S.A. and consult further with the Board of Governors and Senior Management before relaying any further decisions to the school community regarding a possible school closure. These processes have been concluded and the following will apply with effect from TUESDAY 19th JANUARY 2021:
➢ All on-site teaching in the Senior School and the Preparatory School will be suspended for a period of two weeks which will end on FRIDAY 29th JANUARY 2021. Pupils in these phases will move to an on-line teaching format for these two weeks. Aftercare will also be closed for pupils in the Preparatory School.
➢ Based on feedback from the Department of Social Development, the Pre-School will not close and will continue to operate as normal during this time. Aftercare will also continue to operate for the Pre-School pupils.
From MONDAY 1st February 2021 to FRIDAY 5th February 2021 the following will apply:
Senior School:
➢ Grade 12 pupils will return to full-time on-site teaching and learning.
➢ Grade 10 and 11 pupils will return to on-site teaching on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while Grade 8 and 9 pupils will return to on-site teaching on Tuesday and Thursday. On the days that pupils are not present at school, on-line teaching will continue.
Preparatory School:
➢ Grade 1, Grade 4 and Grade 7 pupils will return to on-site teaching and learning.
➢ Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 5 and Grade 6 pupils will continue with on-line learning.
From MONDAY 8th FEBRUARY 2021 all pupils in all grades will return to on-site teaching and learning.
Parents are also requested to take note of the following arrangements:
➢ Reception will remain open throughout this period and will operate from 7:30 am to 1pm daily.
➢ The Fees Administrator, Mrs Sue Wilson, will be working from home. Parents may contact her via her e-mail address which appears on the statement of account or call Miss Adams in reception to make an appointment.
➢ The Tuck Shop will be open for the Pre-School during the next two weeks and for all pupils who are on campus from 1st February 2021.
➢ The Estate Manager and his team will continue with normal duties throughout this period in order to ensure that the school remains a safe environment for staff and pupils.
➢ Teachers have the option to conduct on-line teaching either from home or from school, depending on their preference. Parents are welcome to make appointments with staff during this period should they wish to discuss any relevant matters with teachers. Appointments can be scheduled at school (via Reception) once all COVID-19 protocols have been concluded.
➢ No co-curricular activities can be offered during the next two-week lockdown.
➢ Arrangements for the week of 1st February will be communicated in due course.
I understand that this short period of notice will cause a great deal of inconvenience to parents as they embark on the beginning of the new work year. I apologise for any disruption caused.
Furthermore, I regret that I cannot guarantee that there will not be further disruptions to our arrangements in the future. One only needs to cast one’s mind back to last winter when our planning had to be re-visited several times during the height of the first wave of the pandemic. We will need to remain flexible.
I assure you that we will keep you posted of any changes as soon as they occur. I wish to thank the members of our school community in advance for their forbearance and support. We remain resolute in our determination to provide the best possible education to your child under these difficult circumstances.
Yours faithfully
Mr D.I. Maritz
Head of School