Today, I am writing to present another change in our policies surrounding the pandemic and Covid-19. We are approaching the two year mark of facing this challenge, and it has been two years of remote learning, social distancing, and masking. It also has been two years of incredible resilience within our community. Two years of sacrificial leadership in meeting a challenge. Two years of finding balance in a turbulent world. I am so proud of our Day School Eagles and our broader community for believing in one another and working together as a team.

This journey will continue, and our school, our city, and our country will for some time continue to negotiate and reconcile what we have already experienced with what is to come. 

In our decisions around the pandemic, we have tried to exhibit the caution that each moment in time merited, listening and evaluating the advice of experts. We have done so again over the past few weeks, and have received updated guidance for schools from the Indiana Department of Health, presented by webinar this morning.

If Day School represents anything, it represents what our mission statement calls a striving for excellence, and so as we have made decisions in the moment to be cautious, we must also have the courage and leadership to meet what appears to be a moment of stepping forth toward a new normal.

As such, beginning on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, Evansville Day School will be mask optional for all staff, students, and visitors. Positive cases of Covid-19 have been on the decline, and those above 5 years old who wish to be vaccinated have had the opportunity. 

I want to thank our teachers and staff for their continued hard work at mitigating the negative impacts of masks that have been a by-product of the caution we have had to take. Our teachers’ ability to bring energy and joy, to get students outside, to be creative in working to limit learning loss, is a testament to their commitment to our students.

In aligning with the recommendations of the Indiana State Department of Health, our policy will now be as follows, regardless of vaccination status:

  • Students may choose to wear masks at school if they wish. In the Primary School, we will record the wishes of the parents and work to enforce those wishes. In Middle and Upper School, students will be responsible on their own to adhere to the family’s wishes.

  • Per federal mandate, students must be masked if riding on a bus to a game or field trip.

  • If a student is wearing a mask, we strongly recommend it be an N95 or KN95.

  • If a student is demonstrating symptoms of illness, please keep them at home. The school nurse will send home any student who demonstrates symptoms and they will be asked to stay out of school. As with other illnesses, students should not return to school unless they are fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and their symptoms have significantly resolved.They do not need a doctor’s note or a negative Covid test. 

  • If a student tests positive for Covid-19, they should isolate for 5 days and can return to school on Day 6 if no symptoms are present. At school, they should plan to mask for an additional 5 days.

  • Synchronous Learning will be available only to students in the 5th-12th grades who have tested positive for Covid-19 and feel up to continuing with their school work. Requests for synchronous learning can be made by emailing Mrs. Ziemer. Primary school teachers will work with families to make-up work as needed.

  • When there is an identified positive case in a classroom, we will inform parents of all students in that class that a case has been identified. We will no longer contact trace, nor will we report close contacts to the Department of Health.

In the 75 years of Evansville Day School’s history, I believe our community has been oriented toward hope - a firm and sincere belief that tomorrow will be better, that when opportunity comes, we will be prepared to find excellence, to rise to the moment. And I know that no matter what obstacles are placed in our path now, we are poised as a community to stand together and flourish.

All my best,

Kevin Kunst
Evansville Day School | evansvilledayschool.org