Friends,
 
The collective commitment made by Friends Select families and staff returning to teach or learn in person after winter break has served us well in keeping our community healthy and allowing us to keep school open for our students. 
 
Everyone is now probably looking forward to our upcoming spring break. We are compelled to remind you that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advise against travel. As spring approaches and COVID-19 fatigue increases, my colleagues and I want everyone in our community--students, families, and employees alike--to enjoy this break, and to be able to return to school safely. Following spring break, our current learning schedule will remain the same, with in-person instruction resuming on Tuesday, April 6, for those who have chosen it. 
 
Although local rates of COVID-19 continue to decrease, we will need to continue to rely on our community to make wise choices when planning their time off, in order to prevent a rise in cases that often follows a holiday. Here are some important things to keep in mind during this time:
  • Please read our most recent revision to our Community Commitment. It has been revised and articulates mitigation measures we will continue to employ, as well as some changes related to time away from school and expectations for reentry to school.
  • In school reentry and ongoing sentinel testing have shown a very low percent positive rate within our immediate community. 
  • We have arranged for COVID-19 vaccines to be available for all of our employees.
  • We know that many adult caregivers within our community are being vaccinated or are planning to be vaccinated as well. 
  • At this time, we do not plan to conduct reentry testing for students and employees post-spring break. 
We hope that each and every member of our community will continue to prioritize not just their own health but also the health and safety of the whole community, seeing the well-being of others as their own individual responsibility. Please be mindful of our community's well-being while spending time with friends and family not in your household, when planning any travel, and while engaging in activities while on vacation. 
  • Wear a face covering and practice physical distancing at all times in public and when near non-household members (including outdoor play dates, group sports activities, or other outdoor social times).
  • Wear a face covering when spending time indoors with family or friends who are not in your immediate household. 
  • For public travel and lodging within state or out of state (including air, train, bus, hotels, lodges, and resorts) that are considered moderate- to high-risk, we require families to quarantine for 10 days from the day of return. 
    • To shorten this quarantine, you may obtain COVID-19 PCR tests on day five after travel, and if negative, you may return to school after the seventh day of quarantining. Please share proof of negative test results.
  • Travel within PA or neighboring states to a private residence, where there will be no public gathering, no indoor restaurant dining, and minimal social activities, etc. are considered lower risk and will not require the 10 day quarantine or testing. 
If you or your student will be traveling, please notify your child's division director regarding the need for a post-spring break quarantine and a temporary need for iSelectLearning. As a general reminder, let's remain extra vigilant about following our health and safety protocols with regards to washing hands, wearing face coverings, and practicing physical distancing to the extent possible, especially during social gatherings. 
 
Lastly, I want to acknowledge that I am keenly aware that your family's commitment to the well-being of the larger school community can come with some amount of sacrifice, especially during those times when we are away from school. For that, and for all you have done to help us maintain the health and safety of our entire community, I thank you. 
 
In partnership,



Michael Gary
Head of School