Dear Northland Family,
What an unusual year this has been. As we near the end of the 2020-21 school year, we are finally starting to see signs that the impact of COVID-19 on our campus and community is waning.
There have been more than 13 million vaccine doses administered in Texas so far, and this week there was only an 8.5% COVID positivity rate in Harris County. Government agencies predict that 75% of the U.S. population will be vaccinated by the 1st of July.
It is our hope and intention that Northland will be able to return to a fully operational campus in the fall, with normal activities and regular parental involvement, and we are optimistically planning for some return to regularity in the final six weeks of the school year with our yearly spring activities. We are continuing to wear masks and follow our COVID protocols, but we are looking forward to giving our students an experience that more closely resembles “normal.”
Of course, we will continue to track vaccination numbers, ongoing case numbers in our area, and recommendations from the CDC and other public health officials, and we will plan to adjust precautions as needed to keep our students, faculty, and families safe. However, we look forward to returning to all of the activities that set apart the Northland educational experience—from athletics to fine arts, from science nights to parent breakfasts.
This school year has certainly been an unusual one for all of us, filled with stress and uncertainty. Yet, it has also shown me once again the resilience and strength of the Northland community. We have come together as a school in previous times of disaster (like Hurricane Harvey), and this year’s challenge was no exception. Everyone worked hard to make this year a success—following protocols, adjusting schedules, and coming together to support our kids.
I have also realized just how innovative and flexible our faculty and staff can be. They pivoted immediately last spring from on-campus to online learning, and they have been working exceptionally hard this year to adapt classes to our safety precautions. While some schools have reported that their students are significantly behind nationwide academic standards, Northland students have thrived. They have spent this year continuing to grow and participating in engaging and challenging classes—the classes for which Northland is known.
We can’t wait for Northland to be back 100%, and we know that time is coming soon. We will keep you updated as we learn more this spring and summer. I hope that you and your family are all in good health and that your personal lives are also returning to normalcy. We are so grateful that you are part of the Northland Family.
Blessings,
