Dear WES Families,

I hope your week is going well and that you are looking forward to a time of rest and respite during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

I am writing to you with another update regarding our schooling plans over the upcoming winter breaks. 

Our leadership team and the Crisis Response Committee continue to watch the COVID-19 health metrics daily. It’s been disconcerting to see the numbers continue to increase, as well as the pace at which they have risen. As of today, Montgomery County’s new case rate is 29.3 per 100,000 people and the test positivity rate is 5.1%. Gov. Hogan and Montgomery County officials have warned about the potential impact of holiday travel and family gatherings, and we also are concerned that the holidays bring increased risk for community transmission, both within Montgomery County and the WES Family. 

As it is, in the past few weeks we have seen more members of our community test positive or have a close contact who has tested positive. Thankfully we have not seen a case of community transmission within our school building due to the robust safety measures we have in place and the partnership between our faculty and our families to execute them. However, we also have a duty to you, our Dragons, and our faculty to ensure that we continue to keep our community safe.

Our first responsibility is to protect the health and wellness of the WES Family. The current rate of transmission, combined with the upcoming holidays, creates elevated risks for on-site learning. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to extend our period of at-home learning. Making this decision at this time will allow for a smoother transition for both our families and our faculty.

Transition to At-Home Learning for Grades 1-8
We were previously scheduled to engage in at-home learning for the weeks of November 30 and January 4. However, given the current circumstances, we have added three additional weeks to the at-home learning schedule. Students in Grades 1- 8 will learn virtually between November 30 and January 15. 

We recognize that on-site learning is optimal, and our hope at this time is to resume on-campus instruction on Tuesday, January 19, after the MLK holiday. The complexities involved in interpreting COVID-19 health metrics prevent us from setting precise benchmarks for the reopening of campus. We will, of course, continue to monitor cases in the WES community, Montgomery County, and the greater DC metro area during this time. We ask that you please continue to report your travel plans through this form as well as report any COVID-like illness to Nurse Bailey while we are in at-home learning. 

As always, we will continue to update our community about our timeline to return to campus.

Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten Families
Since the start of the school year, WES has prioritized our youngest Dragons for on-campus learning due to their developmental needs. In this spirit, we will monitor the situation closely over the next 10 days to determine if we think it is appropriate to bring our NPK students onto campus during the weeks of December 7, December 14, and January 11 for instruction in the mornings. We will also send a survey to NPK families to gauge the number of students who would choose to come to campus those weeks if the opportunity presents itself. 

Testing Reminders
We will proceed forward with our optional on-site testing for tomorrow, as we know many families and employees were relying on this service to head into the holidays with greater confidence. 

Testing will be offered from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
  • Early Childhood students can test after their 2:45 p.m. dismissal.
  • Students in Grades 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 will go with their classes during the school day. (Please email your division director if you do NOT want your child tested with their class.)
  • Grade 7 can test between 3:30 and 5 p.m.
  • Virtual learners can test at the conclusion of their school day.

I know our transition to at-home learning is disappointing news for some members of our community. We acknowledge the value of face-to-face instruction to support deep learning in our students as well as their social and emotional health. We all deeply desire to be on campus together again, and look forward to the time when it is possible. 

Our division directors will be in touch with families over the next week to share further information specific to their divisions. Thank you for your partnership and understanding as we continue to navigate such a challenging time. 

Sincerely,
Danny Vogelman