To Our Community,
As the start of March Break approaches, I write to follow up on the February 4 letter that was sent in both English and Mandarin from Head of School Craig Bradley, Dean of Community Life Steve McKibben P'22, and Medical Director Jared Zelman P'04.
In response to concerns from some families in mainland China as well as places such as Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam about travel over the upcoming break, we are sending this email to all of our families with mailing addresses in these countries and regions.
A number of students have said they are not planning to return home over March Break, and are staying in North America with family or friends, or taking advantage of some of the alternative March Break programs that we mentioned in the February 4 letter (see links above).
While the School, based on recommendations from the U.S. Department of State and the Centers for Disease Control, does not recommend that students travel home to mainland China, families and students also have expressed concern about whether the travel bans and advisories will be extended to other countries and areas in the region. Specifically, students and families are worried that if the travel bans are extended, students will not be able to return to School at the end of March Break.
We are aware that an increasing number of countries are being placed under travel alerts and advisories. These alerts and advisories will necessitate increased vigilance if the traveler returns to the U.S. and develops a flu-like illness. If this were to occur, the traveler would potentially be separated or isolated from school.
We will provide notarized letters for all students from these countries and regions. The letter states that they are students in good standing at Hotchkiss and have been in the United States since January 6, and will be signed by Dr. Jared Zelman and me.
We realize this is a time of concern and anxiety for our students and their families, especially for those who have been impacted by travel restrictions or the COVID-19 virus. Our faculty and staff are ready to help any student who might need additional support, and welcome any further questions or concerns you might have.
Sincerely,
