Dear Middle School Students and Families,

I’ve now been in my new role for just short of a month and as you can imagine, there has been a lot to do! With the end of the year feeling like a constant state of flux, I know we all look forward to being able to map out a plan for what fall looks like at Beaver. Having the summer to plan allows us to look at education through a new lens and to be more intentional in our decisions for this coming year.

It was great to connect with some of you in yesterday’s Zoom call, I'm excited to get to know you and the Beaver community and to a day when we can move off of a video call to make that happen. One step at a time. In today’s fall update, I am sharing more detail about our planning process for a return to campus.

Back to School at Beaver
I know this is the big question on everyone’s mind. We are working on getting those answers to you as I write this email. While we do that work, I want to share a document we have prepared. It outlines the implications of COVID-19 for our 2020 school opening this fall. In it, you will find context on our current mindset and approach for back to school decision making and plan development. 

I hope this document gives transparency into our work over the next couple of weeks, I know we all want answers as soon as possible and probably nothing feels soon enough. Rest assured, you have an incredibly dedicated and committed team of Administrators, Faculty, and Staff working together to set Beaver up for a successful start of the year.

What do the next couple of weeks look like? 
  • This week: information on BVR's approach to fall planning and decision making will be shared with parents (that’s this email!)
  • July and early August: internal and external research, assessment, and formalizing (to the extent possible) the fall opening plan
  • Mid-August: share plan with community
  • Later in August: connect with community via Zoom re: plan
  • Through the 1st day of school and into fall: continue to monitor situation and adjust plan as needed to prioritize the safety of our community.

I hope you continue to enjoy your summer. We appreciate the trust you have in us and your support of Beaver in our summer work as we prepare for the start of classes and programs this fall. 

Kim Samson
Head of School