Dear FVS Community,
I’m writing with an important update regarding plans for the remainder of the school year. Minutes ago, we completed our first virtual All-School meeting during which I shared with students and faculty that we will not be returning to campus and will finish out the 2019-20 school year via FVSV.
A video recording of this meeting can be viewed above or by clicking here.
This being the case, Baccalaureate and Commencement will be combined into one ceremony that will take place virtually on Friday, May 22 from 7-9 p.m. MDT. Similarly, Reunion will be combined with FVS Giving Day and we will celebrate online together during the time already scheduled for this event. Unfortunately, our annual summer camps will not take place this year as they are largely athletic in nature and thus do not translate to an online platform.
I am certain this decision will prompt many, many questions and generate a range of emotions, some of which our students may need help processing. As such, immediately following our All-School meeting, students and faculty gathered in advisory groups to discuss the weeks ahead, ask questions, and find support.
Parents- I am certain that you will have just as many questions as well, not the least of which are the financial implications of this decision as well as logistical concerns about how students’ belongings will be returned to them. This is uncharted territory for all of us and I thank you in advance for your patience as we continue our work on the many details that will require our attention. We will continue to use these twice-weekly updates to communicate timely information in a predictable, intentional fashion and intend to have clarity for you here and elsewhere soon.
Moving forward, I want to clearly communicate that we hold the health and well-being of our students above all else. Our class meetings and the connections between teachers and students will be a forum not only for learning, but equally, for supporting our students so that we may work through the challenges that we will face, together.
Along these lines, many parents, students, and faculty have answered the call for feedback about what’s working with FVSV and areas that we can improve. Thank you. We’ve clearly heard that the workload and resulting amount of screentime can be overwhelming at times. This is not our intention, nor will it continue in this fashion. As we ask our students to do, we are approaching this with a growth mindset. It is clear that we need to make adjustments, and we will do so in the coming week. As a result, we will return to a work-life balance that prioritizes the health and well-being of our students and teachers. Next week’s updates will include specific details about steps we will be taking. In the meantime, I am declaring Monday, April 20 a Headmaster’s Holiday for faculty and students so that they may disconnect from technology, get outside, rest, and recharge.
Learning that we will not return to campus is difficult news for all of us, but especially for the members of the Class of 2020 who will perhaps feel the most profound sense of loss; however, I do not believe that this needs to be the case. Though we cannot replicate the singular joy that is one’s senior spring on our bucolic Prairie campus, we can—as a community—rally around the Class of 2020 and send them off into the world in a grand fashion as they become proud alumni and begin their very bright futures. This is our responsibility, but it is also a privilege, and I am excited for the hope and joy that we may find in celebrating our seniors, together, now and moving forward. Our community has come together beautifully thus far and I am confident we will do so in the days and weeks ahead. Words of gratitude and appreciation do not suffice, yet they must for the time being - THANK YOU!
As always, please take good care, stay safe, and be well.
Sincerely,
William Webb
Head of School
Fountain Valley School of Colorado
6155 Fountain Valley School Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80911
