Dear FVS Community:
Greetings from the Prairie! It has been a productive week on campus and I’m excited to share news of good work being done in preparation for our launch of FVSV, which is the name we’ve coined for the virtual learning community that we are creating. More on this below.
In This Update:
- Weekly communications
- FVSV- further information on our virtual distance learning plan
- Access to campus to retrieve academic materials only
- Determining a date for return to campus
- Interim refunds
- Caring for our campus and community
Weekly Communications
Though the situation with COVID-19 is quite serious, you will note that our communications will begin to take a more upbeat tone. This is intentional and not meant to downplay the gravity of the situation. Rather, our goal is to carry forward the ethos of positivity, predictability, and support that defines Fountain Valley School as we pioneer a virtual learning community. FVS is a strong, caring, and connected community, and that is something that COVID-19 cannot take away from us. I am excited to see the connections among students and faculty evolve and bloom when we reconvene virtually in April. I look forward to both the learning we will do and the lift it will provide for all of us. This is who we are. This is who we have been for 90 years. And this is who we will be as we write FVS history.
On a practical note, our recent communications have created a deluge of emails with important questions. I am grateful for your engagement, but please know that the sheer volume has created a backlog to which we are attending by working well into the evening on most days. This is work we gladly do, but we need your support as we move forward. Please take the time to read these messages thoroughly and digest. Your attention is critical as there will be a significant amount of information that will need to be communicated. If, after taking a day or two to reflect, you still have questions, please reach out. Though I or other members of the School’s leadership will endeavor to respond personally, moving forward we will also consolidate questions into a Q&A section that will be included in these communications. This will afford some efficiency but more importantly, allow all of us to benefit from the power of the “hive mind.”
FVSV- Launching Our Virtual Learning Community
When we reconvene virtually in April, our goal is not merely to hold classes online, but rather to recreate the energy, enthusiasm, and support that we experience here on campus. Seeing and hearing each other in real time on video, sharing laughter and other emotions, and connecting through shared experience are among the goals. Like life on campus, we hope to also create a virtual social experience and support network, which we know is equally important. We are facing unprecedented challenges and need this outlet more than ever.
As such, classes will meet following the normal daily schedule. Students who are located in the Continental U.S. will be expected to participate in these virtual meetings in real time. For those in other time zones, classes will be recorded and teachers will work to create live connections at other times during the day. Included in expectations will be Advisory meetings as well as multiple extra-help opportunities. We plan to closely monitor the effects of this much screen time and will adjust the schedule as needed to strike a balance.
Students and teachers will make initial connections on Friday, April 3 and classes will begin on Monday, April 6. Details on platforms and protocols will be communicated in greater detail next week, as well as information about online access to textbook content and other relevant course materials that students may have left on campus.
Access to Campus to Retrieve Academic Materials ONLY
Many students have reached out to inquire about access to campus to retrieve personal belongings. For those able to travel to campus, the Deans’ Office will schedule access to pick up
ACADEMIC MATERIALS ONLY
in 30 minute blocks between 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week. To schedule a time, please email
deansoffice@fvs.edu
. This is not a time to collect all belongings, but only that which you might need for virtual learning such as computers, calculators, and books. Please see the requirements below.
- It is critical that we maintain social distancing and isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- As such, prior to arriving on campus, students and anyone accompanying them in their vehicle must complete this visitor screening form and return it to the Deans’ Office.
- All access to campus must be pre-arranged in the timeframe outlined above by contacting the Dean’s Office at deansoffice@fvs.edu. If you arrive without an appointment you will not be able to access campus.
- While on campus, students only will be permitted to access day student lockers or dorm rooms and will be escorted by a faculty member at all times.
- Anyone else accompanying the student must remain in the vehicle.
- Following each day’s visits, our Facilities team will then sanitize all spaces where visitors were present following protocols established by the CDC.
- We realize that this may not attend to everyone’s needs and, as such, will work together in the coming week to address and solve the opportunities with which we are presented to support every student.
Determining a Date for Return to Campus
The Governor of Colorado has issued an order suspending in-person classes at all public and private schools in Colorado through Friday, April 17. Therefore, the earliest that we might reconvene on campus would be Monday, April 20. We will continue to follow the directives from the state and consider their guidance, as well as many other factors to determine whether it is safe and prudent to re-open campus.
Please do not make travel plans at this point.
Interim Refunds
Please look for information from Interim Program directors next week. Thank you for your patience as we finalize details.
Caring for Our Campus and Community
We’ve instituted a number of measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of those remaining on campus, which includes students as well as families who live at FVS. This includes significantly limiting the number of people allowed access to campus, instituting a visitor screening protocol, and suspending all off-campus trips for students. With that said, energy on campus remains positive and I’m pleased to share the video below that provides glimpses of a few of the activities underway including horseback riding, Frisbee golf, soccer, tennis, and assembling an 18,000 piece puzzle.
Gratitude
I’m grateful for your time and attention to the many details included in this message. As we move forward, I also ask for your patience. We are pioneering new territory for FVS, which presents challenges, but also offers opportunities. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together. What we create must be approached with a growth mindset and viewed as a constantly evolving work in progress. What does not work immediately will be fixed, and today is different than yesterday, and tomorrow will be different than today. As such, we must remain flexible and comfortable with the lack of clarity that surrounds the myriad questions that have arisen, and recognize that in uncertainty lies opportunity. This is exciting, and we will undertake this together one step at a time, one day at a time, and write a new and powerful chapter in our School’s history.
