I have no issue with social distancing myself, but it will be a total disaster for the kiddo if it lasts entire term. I don’t think he is well suited to online learning to begin with, and if he can’t have his sports and his local friends will still have school there is nobody to hang out with either. It will be very hard, even xBox is not all that appealing at this point and we are still in the break (should have been leaving for pre-season training shortly). Not having a proper schedule will be a huge challenge here.
Our local schools are preparing for online schooling as well. One private high school has already extended spring break with plans to continue education online. I suspect others will follow suit. We are in Florida where we haven’t felt the impact yet so I’m guessing if our schools are already planning to go online most other states will as well.
I will have the opposite problem. We relocated in January across the country and are still in a smallish air BNB for a few more weeks before we move in our new home. Our oldest just got told his spring classes of his graduate program are moving online, our other 2 kids colleges will let us know in the next few days if they will be returning from spring break or moving to online classes from home AND my work just expressed we will probably begin working from home next week. While I love my family, the idea of 4 of us in a 2 bedroom place with our 4 animals and me trying to get my work done- sounds a little crazy!!
Loomis Chaffee is extending spring break as well and moving to online classes for a few weeks, but with the possibility that that timeframe could be extended…they are working out the details of online classes and working to find places for international students who were not able to go home places to stay. Spring break athletic trips were cancelled as well.
We will have a college senior completing his last semester in our house. I am already anticipating that the social distancing he’s going to want will be from his parents.
Just heard from friends that George School will not return from spring break but conduct classes online.
I think that it’s going to be tough for all these BS given what they offer through their residential communities and “high touch” teaching.
With that said, I think that this could open up some interesting opportunities for both the students and the schools to figure out what they can do with online learning platforms, not necessarilyas a replacementfor in person learningbut as an additionto it… My hunch is that some parts of it may actually really resonate with the students (and the faculty?)
Dear SPS Alumni,
Greetings from Concord, where the early shoots and buds of spring are breaking through the final few days of winter. As we approach the end of our second week of spring break, COVID-19 is front and center. As citizens of the world, we are all engaged in this conversation. In recent days, we have communicated with students and families that we will go on-line starting on March 24, our scheduled return from March break, through April 4 in hopes that by then, there will be more clarity around testing, treatment, and management of COVID-19. While our adolescent community is at low health risk, there are both practical quarantine management problems and responsible citizenship issues around slowing the rate of virus transmission that are important in the on-going navigation of this issue that is now affecting all of us.
As of now, we will be postponing all alumni and parent gatherings through the end of April. Our Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 14, will take place virtually via a Zoom conference call. Details about that meeting will be communicated to you in the coming days by Alumni Association President Liz Robbins '79, P’17. Currently, we continue to work closely with form directors in planning Anniversary Weekend activities, and hope to celebrate together at the end of May.
You can find regular updates from the School here. Good communication, caution, and confidence will move us forward over the coming weeks.
With thanks and best regards,
Kathleen C. Giles
Rector
We are also facing 4 adults (2 parents, 2 college kids) working from a home which is basically a one room open floor plan - plus 3 of the 4 of us are returning from places where they may have been exposed and will need to self isolate inside the house. Hoo- boy! As Mae West says “buckle up fellas, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.” Although Chimneykid2 will probably be thrilled to self-isolate in her room vs hang with us (That will last about a week!)She is still in Nepal till May so we may be able to stagger kids but of course that could change at any time. I think her group must be one of the very few left in Asia.
Hi, it’s been awhile since I have been on here. I came by to see how many were in the same boat regarding extended spring break with online classes. DD attends St. Timothy’s in Maryland and we got an email this morning about it. Has anything like this ever happened before? I can’t recall it myself.
@makp715 At this point just about everybody is on extended spring break with online classes, both BS and colleges.
The public schools are closed too… with no online classes planned.
Peddie just extended their online classes through 4/14.
For any prospective BS international parents reading this, my kid’s BS and at least some colleges are making housing arrangements/exceptions so that international kids who can’t go home have a place to stay!
DS would have started Third tri March 30 but they will now be online April 1-11. DS2 finishes his break at his LDS March 20 and will be on-line indefinitely starting March 24. At the day school where I serve on the board, a two (or more) week closing was announced today. CT public and private schools are all over the place since there’s no top-down directive to close schools, like in some states.
Our public schools are planning online learning.
Any news from schools with kids stuck overseas?
@Golfgr8 Peddie is providing housing etc for students from overseas who can’t go home. (Is that what you were asking?)
Thanks @carpoolingma - that’s great . Some schools are and some not… Also, some kids are away for school year abroad . A neighbor just brought her kid home.
@Golfgr8 If they were with the School Year Abroad program, they’re all back in the US, as of Friday. I’m an SYA China alumna, so have been following what’s been going on - it’s been a very challenging year for the organization, and I feel awful for the students. SYA was an incredible experience, and I hope this doesn’t dissuade students from going in the future.
I really think people debating which school to send their child to should observe the choices schools make during this crisis.
Not all schools are doing what Peddie is doing.
At least one school in a recent update directed boarding families from travel restricted countries to book a flight home for their students as soon as possible. They worded it more nicely, but… 
Personally, if I would feel betrayed if I were the parent/guardian of an international BS student and read such a message.
I posted this just now in “Miscellaneous Ramblings “ but it probably belongs here.
In addition to the school making sure every student has a place to be (all students had Cate families to stay with for break and now the campus is open to those who need it), the students are taking action themselves. Having btdt with the fire, they know how isolating a school closure is. They are organizing themselves into geographic pods to check in on each other. So for the Bay Area, a senior prefect took it upon himself to assign everyone, including the displaced students, into groups of about 8. Each pod is a mix of grades and social groups. The idea is fluid, but the hope is they can do small in-person meet ups and stay connected on line, too.
I love this. Speaks to how empowered the students are to take action, and how they genuinely care for other students.
But mainly I am putting it out there for other schools to consider doing.
This is a very informative time for prospective BS parents. There is more to a BS education than getting into college - while your child is living at BS, they are absorbing the values of that community.
It sounds like Cate students are living up to Cate’s motto.