March 15, 2020
Dear Members of the Cushing Community,
Over this last week, we have experienced unprecedented challenges and subsequently have seen extraordinary measures taken in an attempt to protect the health and well-being of the citizens of this country, and ultimately, the members of our global community. In a matter of days, COVID-19 has escalated to the pandemic level, leading to the closure of professional sports, theme parks, colleges, universities, and the limitation of large gatherings.
Like other institutions, the leadership team at Cushing is making choices to better respond to the coronavirus situation now and in the coming weeks with the objective of providing a safe educational and physical environment for our students, faculty, and staff. Our team has been working around the clock while faced with this matter and is continuing to find the right solutions for the Academy as we traverse this complex terrain.
As these events continue to unfold and change at a rapid pace, I would like to inform you of the following updates and decisions regarding the remainder of the 2020 spring semester:
- We have extended Spring Break for students for one week, through April 3, and will implement our plan for online learning beginning on Monday, April 6. At this point, we have delayed students returning to campus until further notice. We will return to normal Academy operations once it has been deemed medically safe to resume on-campus learning.
- Faculty will return to campus for work as regularly scheduled on Tuesday, March 31 and will use that week to finalize preparations for remote instruction to begin on April 6. As stated above, students will remain off campus until further notice.
- Please let us know if your student is unable to accommodate online learning for any reason.
- As it is Spring Break, we understand that students are currently housed in a variety of locations. I am asking all families to keep (or in some cases bring) their children home (or to a safe location off campus), where they can stay for an indefinite period of time. If any assistance is needed in this process, please contact Josh Doyon, Director of Student Affairs at jodoyon@cushing.org.
- All school events, including athletics, have been canceled or postponed until we resume on-campus learning.
- While in-person instruction has been suspended, the Academy will otherwise remain open.
While I know this is disappointing for many students, particularly the class of 2020, we have no other choice at this time. Our responsibility to the health of the members of the Cushing community as well as our greater community, particularly those who are most susceptible to this illness, takes precedence.
I will continue to update everyone as this situation evolves. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I appreciate your understanding and flexibility. Please keep yourselves and your loved ones safe at this time, with thoughts and hopes for a happy and healthy spring.
Sincerely,
