Dear Families,
 
Ready or not…here we go!  
 
Time and time again, our School demonstrates extraordinary resilience and strength in the face of adversity. The Phoenix, both as an ancient Greek literary device and as a historic MPH reference passed down through the generations, is an apt symbol of our School’s grit, determination, and capacity for renewal and growth. And in annals of MPH history, the story that unfolds is the story of many individuals who step up, who come together, and who work through the given challenge to accomplish a goal. Knowing my colleagues, our students and families, and so many in the broader MPH community, we’ll honor our School’s proud tradition, once again, as we all make adjustments to work, education, and life.
 
We’ll begin our distance-learning format tomorrow, and I applaud and appreciate what has been tremendous preparation, in short order, to transition to a fundamentally different model at MPH. We’ll begin slowly, we’ll set reasonable expectations, we’ll pilot new initiatives, we’ll find some success, we’ll fall short of the mark, and, ultimately, we will learn and grow from all of these experiences. 
 
Three housekeeping items to share:
 
  • Monday, March 23, is designated for “Faculty In-Service” and while our programming has shifted, we will use this day as scheduled. Therefore, there are no classes next Monday.

  •  As referenced in yesterday’s communication, MPH business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. until, at least, April 10.  During this time, there is a plan to staff the front desk from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each day. Mail and packages will be collected and distributed to employee mailboxes. And phone calls and email messages to the School will be received and responded to in a timely manner.

  • The schedule for next week will be released tomorrow. 
 
Appreciating that you may feel (as most of us do right now) that it’s hard to keep up with so many communications, and recognizing that you have and will continue to receive messaging from MPH division heads, teachers, advisors, etc., my daily missives will soon become weekly missives. Especially during a time when there is more uncertainty than usual, my colleagues and I will strive to ensure that all members of our community are well informed and feeling connected to one another and MPH.
 
Thanks, as always, for your partnership!
 
Dave