You see to me this illustrates the biggest problem. The kids have no idea how the boarding school life is going to look like this fall, and I am not sure the schools really do either yet. They are all up for a very rude awakening. I am still waiting for answers to my questions too, but my main worry is that the kids will not have enough to do and it is going to be an utterly miserable experience. Boarding school and social distancing really do not go together, and right now the rules seem to not allow any socializing at all. You do not want the kids drinking and vaping in the woods for lack of anything else/better to do.
My kid wants a change of scenery so he is going, and I am not really anxious because we are not that far away and can always get him if needed. In fact we may cut the fall short because there is a big showcases before the term ends that he will want to attend should it happen as scheduled. The school’s current stance (which changed from when we committed to returning) is that if you leave you have to quarantine for 2 weeks so he would just do the rest of the term online from home. I know there are a bunch of other families who are going to make last minute decision whether to come on campus in the fall, depending on what the guidance is at that point.
This is very good news!
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-based-each-regions-infection-rate-schools-across-new-york-state-are
My daughter is thrilled to fly to the US and attend a boarding scool in person. In my opinion, it’s just as dangerous in Helsinki as in New York State. Of course, it’s not going to be a normal boarding school experience this year, but hey that’s life. And of course there’s a big chance that covid-19 would make a school year in Helsinki pretty strange as well.
Has anyone on here decided to keep their student home-opt out of BS and enroll in the local school (either in person or virtually) if their BS switches to online learning?
No. Our local public schools did a terrible job with remote learning. I have a son heading off to BS for 9th grade who did public school remote learning last spring. We will not go through that again.
At this point, the tuition is a sunk cost. And our BS did as good a job with remote learning as we could have asked for. Plus, they now are positioned to provide completely remote learning to accommodate multiple situations this year, including remote learning all year.
The hardest part of remote learning is the social impact for BS students. But if things are so bad that we are back to completely remote learning (which I highly doubt will happen), than our local public school will undoubtedly be effected too.
My only concern surrounding returning to school is the reaction to outbreaks of COVID on campuses (BS and college) in the fall. Outbreaks are surely going to happen here and there. That doesn’t equate to a public health crisis and the need to send all kids home. Just as emerging from lockdowns led to an expected increase in new cases, so should we expect some outbreaks of COVID at schools. But it’s the media exaggeration and hyper-focus, combined with sensationalistic descriptions like “surging” that fuel irrational reactions like sending everyone home.
Commence finger crossing…
Just when we thought everything is ok, my daughter’s boarding school announced that they’ll suspend the whole boarding program for the fall semester.
This means one more year of LPS for my daughter, because en entire semester of Zoom lessons seven time zones away is out of the question. Learning English would be limited, if she lived home and talked her native language with family and friends every day.
We’re very disappointed.
@FinnMom, I am so sorry to hear this as I realize it has been a rollercoaster ride for your daughter due to COVID-19.
Oh @FinnMom!!! I’m so very sorry!!! What a huge disappointment!
I am really sorry, that must be very disappointing.
Do you still have that option? Tuition has already been due and paid, so other than getting room and board refunded if they don’t open in person I am not sure you would see the money back. But also my son would still hope to go back in the spring if not before, and their online learning will be better than here. The time for that decision has sailed at our school though regardless. We did think about it but fairly certain there will be very limited in person school here if any. Staying home and doing remote classes is on the table still, for a lot of families from what I hear.
What do you think should happen if there are outbreaks at the school? I can’t see them being cavalier about it, seeing it has a potential to spread like a wildfire and it can take up to 2 weeks for someone exposed to actually have a positive test, so negatives end up turning into positives on regular basis (see the sports teams example now). And unlike college you have minors here (mostly).
I think if there is more than one cluster of cases at any school at the very least they have to shut down all in person activities and go on lockdown to make sure it does not spread any further. Which means kids pretty much stuck in their rooms all day doing online classes and not much if anything else. Even if they all comply with that (a huge if, since even adults don’t seem to pull it off) it would not be an experience anyone cares to have. So since the fall term on campus is short as it is sending everyone home may be a better call in that scenario.
It definitely depends on the extent of the outbreaks. In most cases, the plans in place for isolating sick individuals, contact tracing and quarantining those exposed will work. I agree that if several clusters occur simultaneously at a school and are not clearly traceable, than a campus lock down is in order. But that will be an uncommon occurrence and necessity.
Sorry to hear this bad news @FinnMom!
In case anyone is looking for testing resources for family members, there is a national data base of testing centers:
I like the Brooks School plan for reopening. For the start of the school year, only boarding students on campus and day students virtually, for the first month or so. Here is the school link.
https://www.brooksschool.org/returntocampus/needtoknow
Please share updates and insights - I think these school reopening plans will be changing over the next few weeks.
I think it is too late to meaningfully change plans aside from flipping to the plan B all remote option should they realize their odds of pulling it off successfully are going downhill or should the state not approve their re-opening plan, or roll back general re-opening to the point where schools just cannot open (like CA did). In the college world it seems to be split so far, while some schools have thrown in the towel recently (Princeton, JHU, Georgetown, GWU) there are others still forging full speed ahead.
We’ll know soon enough whose plan was best :). Really it’s just a guessing game at this point, IMO.
As many of you know, I always try to make a poem each year:
‘Twas right before school starts
Amidst a pandemic
Just how to return safely?
It’s all academic.
The test kits are waiting
Or being sent with great care
In hopes that no COVID droplets
Will spread through the air
Each school has sent plans out
No fall sports and no parties
With more time for studying
Our kids should all be smarties!
Not looking forward to drop off
Only 15 minutes for goodbye
No move in or unpacking
Don’t expect a dry eye.
Hats off to our students
They want so much to return
But us parents will miss them
It’s for these times we will yearn!
Berkshire just announced they are starting online Sept 8-25, returning on campus on Sept 28th (if all goes well presumably).
Well…the rug was just pulled out from under us. BAM. I can’t even express my disappointment, frustration, irritation…etc.
We will be the only ISL school (other than Milton) not going back. 4 days after they sent further clarifications about move-in, they just said “oh well, never mind”. We had to wait another 6 days for the meeting as to explain why. We were given absolutely no data, no reason (with substance). Worcester county has had no new cases in a week…they kept talking about the recent trend in cases. In addition…when they do plan to go back, they are only offering on campus learning to day students. WHAT!?! How is it safer to have students going on/off campus to prevent viral spread? Several of us with medical backgrounds spoke up. After repetitive empty answers, It turned into a bloodbath with parents demanding refunds, etc. New parents stating they should’ve made a different choice because they could’ve gone to a school that is making an effort to provide the service they sold… and it was all met with the same empty responses and blank stares.
If it weren’t our senior year, we’d be gone. But what can we do? I’m so disappointed in the way this was handled. Very poor leadership was displayed. Very poor decision making. To say we are all devastated is an understatement. I was their hugest cheerleader, a most loyal supporter. But I just can’t anymore. Not after the circus I just endured.
DS said it best, though. He said “The people that made this decision and caused this disaster by the way they so poorly handled it are not the people who’ve made my experience such an amazing one. Those people have never said more than three words to me -they have not mentored, molded nor educated me. They definitely have not taught me how to lead. The people who have done that are caught over the barrel just like I am.”
Still, I cant believe we are paying $60k+ for remote learning. One parent claimed this was the most expensive computer course in the world.
I just really needed to vent here. We could all use big hugs. Just devastating.
I’m so sorry @buuzn03 , what devastating news! I don’t even have the right words to say. Sending you big, virtual hugs to you and your son!
Sorry, @buuzn03 ! I keep expecting to read about others schools doing the same, including our own. Unfortunately, I suspect many schools are being forced to conform to an unrealistic expectation of being completely protected from the virus, rather than living with it. Despite sharply declining cases that never exceeded surge capacity in 99.9% of the country, we are all being held hostage by the will of a vocal minority. In particular, schools seem to be impacted by a group of teachers that insist on remote learning. They are particularly vocal and obstructive in our LPS (and others across the country), but I suspect private schools and BSs have enough of them to impact their plans for the fall. I hear their concerns about “safety” on the news, but see everyday the many people who go to work (exercising precautions) and interact with other people throughout their day. Do these teachers not go to the grocery, the pharmacy, out for a meal, etc.? And the notion that remote learning is adequate has clearly not been vetted by anyone who had kids doing it last spring. It is academically awful, socially stifling and has derailed years of hard work kids have spent on ECs, including athletics.
It’s going to be a very rocky road this fall, but I hope most schools hold their ground and keep in-person classes going. If they do, and demonstrate a safe campus living with COVID, it will hopefully force other schools off of remote learning.