Dear Parents,
We hope that you have enjoyed a restful Eid holiday. As we return to learning on Sunday, we are keen to set out some general guidance for the end this school year and some early thoughts on how the start of the next academic year may look. Obviously, given the nature of the current situation, all of this is subject to change, but we feel it is important to inform parents of our thinking and planning at this time.
End of year arrangements
Students will continue with online learning until 18th June 2020 with many courses/age groups working toward final assessments and feedback in the next 3 weeks. More detailed plans and expectations are available to your child via his/her Google Classrooms or division communications.
Report cards for all students will be emailed to parents by the 25th June 2020 for those whose 2019-20 fees are up to date.
There will be division-based communications regarding return of textbooks and collection of any student items on campus. Please be sure to read these communications which will outline important safety precautions and procedures.
Grade 12/Year 13 students will soon take their Thanaweya Amma exams. Students and parents of these groups will receive separate communications with further details.
All parts of the school have begun with transition activities to prepare students moving into the next school division. These include assemblies and leaving celebrations conducted remotely and sharing of information to prepare students for their next school year.
Campus Opening / Access
The school campus remains open for necessary business from 8am-2pm daily. The school cashier offices are open during these hours.
All staff and visitors on campus must wear masks and observe strict social distancing measures at all times. Further guidance is on signage around campus. There are many sanitization points around campus and our housekeeping staff is taking additional precautions to ensure busier areas of the school meet sanitary expectations.
Next School Year
We are very pleased to report that our projected enrollment for next year is on target and our admissions office has worked hard through our closure to continue processing applicants. We remain oversubscribed in a number of year groups across both schools, with growing waiting lists. We urge parents to complete the April down payment process for 2020-2021 as has been outlined in previous letters from the fees department. This continues to enable us to staff and resource the school in preparation for the new academic year. We are very pleased with the staff recruitment that has been undertaken.
The current global situation is still uncertain, but we are preparing for three different opening scenarios:
- Face to face learning as normal with strict measures in place to ensure safety
- Hybrid/Blended model with a mix of face to face learning and remote learning
- Remote learning continues with special activities as part of the introduction to a new school year
The start of the new school year will follow government guidance and all safety protocols to maintain public health. We are also planning our transport strategy for the new school year that will need to take into account social distancing on buses and arrival and departure at the campus. This will all be informed by guidance from the local authorities which is still pending.
We plan to begin the new school year as scheduled on the 31st August 2020.
Our induction of new staff has already begun via remote means and all are looking forward to joining our school later in the summer. Our planning includes contingencies for any staff who may be unable to travel due to the current situation and we are taking all measures possible to ensure early safe arrival of both new and returning expatriate staff.
At this time, there is still much uncertainty. The situation we find ourselves in is changing daily and we expect uncertainty to continue for the weeks ahead. We monitor the situation closely and will continue to adhere to guidance and rulings from the local authorities and international good practice. We will continue to keep you informed of developments.
The strength of our collective response continues to be close working between parents, students and staff. We thank you for your continued efforts and the role that you are playing in this process as parents. This is greatly appreciated and a true testament of our school community.
Kind Regards,
Allison Fleet & Matt Topliss
Principals