Update from the Head of School

5/6/2020

Dear Harford Day Families,

Like you, I have welcomed the recent emergence of spring, with warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, and budding trees; it is heartening to see winter turn to spring as our physical surroundings, at least, carry on per usual. Nonetheless, we cannot help but feel the enormous loss of sharing this spring -- typically a busy time of year-end activities and celebratory events -- with you and your children. The absence of children from our hallways, fields, and playgrounds is deeply felt by all of us who love the work we do.

While we mourn what we have lost, we have much for which we are grateful. Our absence from the brick and mortar school has allowed all the members of our community to protect their health, and the yeoman efforts of the faculty have allowed our children to continue their learning. Now, as a result of Governor Hogan and his team announcing the close of schools for the remainder of this year, we turn our sights to the future.

First, the near future:

Our Distance Learning program will continue through the end of the school year. In the next week or so we will be able to provide more detailed information about the final days of school, and what the schedule will be for those days.

Spring field trips, hot lunches and other activities are partially funded by the annual student activity fee. School closure has forced us to cancel several of those events this spring. We have prorated fees paid through mid-March and calculated a $50 credit for each of your child(ren). That $50 per child fee can be refunded to you or credited to next year. Please contact Valerie Kohles, Chief Financial Officer, at valeriekohles@harfordday.org with your preference.

We recognize that school closures create very real, practical challenges for families as you juggle child care, your own work responsibilities, and support of your children learning at home; as we have indicated previously, please...do what you are able.

Also in the very near future we will be planning logistics around textbook returns, so please watch for that information. If the textbooks brought home by your child(ren) have scattered, it might be advisable to begin locating those items at this time!

This summer:

Work has begun on organizing summer reading and summer math assignments. We will keep you posted on those details.

We have also begun planning several summer camp scenarios. We will be sending a camp planning survey to families before the end of the week.

Welcome and community building opportunities (orientation, buddy families, etc.) will still be scheduled, whether virtual or in person.

For school year 2020-2021:

It is not possible to know what next school year will "look like," but we do know that together we can prevail. Of course, it is our hope that we'll be able to be back at the school full-time, come September. However, we are already looking at plans for improving and simplifying our Distance Learning approach going forward, and we have certainly learned a great deal since mid-March. Additionally, we are taking steps to ensure that campus buildings and grounds are in full compliance with CDC re-opening requirements.

Should it be determined that a continuation of either full or partial Distance Learning is in the best interest of our students, school employees and families, we will make that happen. The Board of Trustees will be considering potential tuition discounts for various distance learning scenarios. Details regarding various tuition structures will be communicated as those decisions are made. We know that you are counting on us to deliver a strong academic and extracurricular program, and that is not something we take lightly.

As I mentioned, please watch for additional communication in the coming days and weeks, please continue to take good care of yourselves and your child(ren), and please be certain of the fact that we miss you.

Warm regards,

Susan