Dear FVS Community, 

 

In the time since my last email to you yesterday, we have successfully shifted to a temporary, on-campus quarantine and have made the necessary preparations to begin distance learning Thursday morning. Students spent the day enjoying a mid-week break similar to those planned for the second semester. After a relaxed start to the day and breakfast delivered to the residence halls, day and boarding students met with their advisory groups to discuss plans for the days ahead and to check in with each other as we all work to digest this sudden change to our routine. Lunch was then delivered to the residence halls, and as I write this, students are enjoying supervised time outside and gorgeous fall weather. 

 

The day also yielded many email communications from various individuals here on campus that needed to be sent in a timely manner and thus could not be consolidated. I apologize for possibly flooding your inbox. This email contains a digest of the information shared today with the hope that presenting it in one place will provide not only a helpful reminder, but also a better picture of what has been a well-coordinated Herculean effort by many individuals over the last 24 hours. 

 

 

As we work to assess the current situation and support the health and well-being of our community, it is critical that all students and employees report any symptoms they may be experiencing in a timely manner. Please be sure to read through and complete the survey each day, and respond honestly. We are not asking you to speculate about the cause of your symptoms, just to report them. Members of our Health Center will discuss your symptoms and health history with you to determine what, if any action is needed. 

 

Arrangements have been made for day and boarding students to access lockers and other areas, if need be, to pick up materials and personal items that they may need for their Thursday and Friday classes. This information was shared with students during Advisory and any questions or specific needs should be communicated to advisors or to the Deans’ Office at deansoffice@fvs.edu. 

 

Beginning tomorrow, we will pivot temporarily to our Distance Learning Daily Schedule below, which includes a later start, shorter blocks, and time to complete assignments during class meetings. The goal is to create a manageable and sustainable pace while reducing overall screen time. In addition, faculty have worked to modify curriculum so that a portion of each class may be spent working independently or in small groups, in place of the normal, full load of homework. Students may still be assigned work to complete outside of class, but we are working actively to ensure that students do not need to spend the entire day and evening in front of their screens to attend class and then complete assignments. 

 

The following is the schedule for Thursday and Friday October 15-16, which follows the Distance Learning Schedule. The schedule for the coming week will be communicated later this week. 

 

 

 

 

While the focus of our quarantine is primarily to protect our students and employees, we must also be mindful of our responsibilities to the larger community. We expect students who live off campus to remain in quarantine and follow our Community Commitment. This also means that students who live off campus should suspend participation in any group athletics or activities, as has already been communicated to affected individuals by the Director of Athletics. 

 

We have received the question of whether boarding students may go home during this quarantine period and we ask for your patience and cooperation while we work with the El Paso County Department of Health to determine the scope and duration of the quarantine. Any students who leave campus, however, regardless of the duration of our current quarantine, will need to complete a 14-day quarantine prior to returning to campus and attend classes through distance learning during this period. 

 

In consideration of the current situation, the period for juniors and their parents to sign up for Interim has been moved to next week. The signup will be open from Thursday, October 22 through Monday, October 26. Parents of juniors will receive an email on October 22 with information and a link to complete the signup form on behalf of their child. 

 

Students in grades 10-12 were originally scheduled to take standardized tests today including the PSAT, Practice ACT, and SAT. The College Counseling Office is actively working to reschedule these tests as able and will communicate details as they are available. If you have specific concerns or questions, please contact Director of College Counseling, Doug Badger, at dbadger@fvs.edu.

 

As previously communicated, next Wednesday, October 20, the School will host a virtual town hall for parents. Given our current situation, this is a perfect opportunity to connect and gain clarity on a variety of topics. A portion of the evening will focus on our COVID-19 response including a look at the role that testing can play in maintaining the health and well-being of our community. So that we may organize and thoroughly answer your questions, please submit them in advance using the link below no later than 9am on Tuesday 10/20.

 

>> Virtual Town Hall Questions

 

Work continues in partnership with the El Paso County Department of Health (EPCDH) and the School’s Medical Director to determine the extent and duration of our current quarantine. As we gain greater clarity, we will continue to share daily updates. In the meantime, I want to share that our responsible and expeditious response has been lauded by the EPCDH and allowed them to focus on the critical work at hand knowing that the situation on campus is stable. 

 

In the next two days, while we evaluate data and thoroughly work through contact tracing in partnership with the EPCDH, we will gain clarity about the path forward and specifically how long we will need to quarantine. I want to reiterate our firm belief in the value and importance of in-person learning, and it is our goal to return to doing so as soon as safely possible. 

 

In the meantime, thank you for your patience, partnership, and trust. 

Sincerely, 

 

William Webb

Head of School 

Fountain Valley School of Colorado

6155 Fountain Valley School Road 

Colorado Springs, CO 80911