CSS Head of School Message, March 9, 2020 -
Coronavirus Update for the CSS Community
   
Dear CSS Community,

While we do not know with certainty what will happen next with Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the future, we are committed to providing timely communication and updates. On Friday, the El Paso County Health Department confirmed the first case of COVID-19 locally in Colorado Springs. At the time of this writing, there is 1 presumptive case in El Paso County and 12 cases in the state, according to the Daily Fast Facts updated by the Colorado Department of Health & Environment. These numbers are certain to rise. The CSS leadership team is assessing and taking deliberate actions to prepare for a multitude of scenarios. 

Initial Steps
Our first proactive steps in assembling action related to the COVID-19 situation were outlined in our
communication on February 27, 2020, and include the following.    

  • We have increased hygiene and respiratory etiquette messages amongst students and families. Handwashing clinics were conducted with Children's School, and with Middle School and Upper School students on seminar and ECS. This education will continue as MS and US students return to campus. 
  • New handwashing signage and reminders have been put in every bathroom across campus. 
  • We have doubled-down on cleaning protocols focused on surfaces in classrooms and common spaces and we are disinfecting buses after each use. 
  • We have communicated that if any parent, student or faculty member feels sick they should stay home. As a community, we must adhere to this level of safety and respect for each other.   
  • We have invested hours of research and risk assessment to fully support our students and faculty/staff currently engaged beyond our walls in Upper School Experience-Centered Seminars (ECS) and the recently concluded Middle School seminars. As recently as this weekend, we modified the itinerary of one ECS to avoid spending time in Washington state. 
  • And naturally, we have witnessed new greetings in our community including elbow bumps, jazz hands, and toe taps instead of handshakes and hugs. Let's have some fun with this new way of greeting each other.

In making plans, we have had multiple conversations with the El Paso County Public Health on local conditions and CDC guidelines as pertains directly to CSS. We are also in constant communication with Association of Colorado Independent Schools and National Association of Independent Schools as we make decisions and gather resources.   

For the purpose of clarity, it is worth defining some general terms we will use in the future. Obviously, we ask all of our community members to seek and follow the advice of health care professionals and err on the side of caution. 

Exposure Level Terminology

  • Primary contact - If you are in close proximity with someone who has a presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis - you would be considered in Primary contact. 
  • Secondary contact - Anyone who came in contact with you would be considered in secondary contact.  
  • Tertiary contact - anyone who came in contact with a secondary person.

If we learn that anyone who is a primary contact has been on campus, we will close for 24-36 hours to do a deep disinfecting of campus - as is the policy at other independent school(s) in Colorado and school districts across the nation. The person in primary contact would be asked not to come to school until 14 days have elapsed from their contact with the person diagnosed with the virus.

We ask secondary contacts to refrain from coming to school until the person who is primary has been clear of symptoms for 14 days following their contact with the diagnosed person.

If a family chooses to stay home as "self-quarantined," we will not object. These will be excused absences with access to some material online (depending on grade level) and the ability to make-up homework, graded projects, tests/quizzes.

Out of an abundance of caution, there is at least one family in our CSS community that has voluntarily self-quarantined. If a student or family elects to self-quarantine in the future, we can use our e-learning capabilities through "Google Hangouts Meet" to patch them into class as is practical. These plans will be communicated and developed with the affected family. Google Classroom continues to serve as our primary location where homework is currently accessed by 5th - 12th-grade students.  

Spring Break and Personal Travel
Another area of focus is Spring Break travel. If your family travels to a country that the CDC classifies as Level 2 or 3 (for example, Italy is level 3, and Japan is Level 2), then we would ask you not to send your child to school for 14 days from the date you returned to Colorado Springs. 

Likewise, if subsequent to your return, a country or location in the USA you visited is designated as Level 2 or 3, we would ask you and your child(ren) to refrain from coming to school for 14 days from your return. Here is the link to the CDC page classifying countries by level. 

If for any reason you will be self-quarantining, please advise those tracking attendance: Holly Hannum (Children's School, 719-434-3540), Ann Runte (Middle School, 719-434-3510), and Elena Hall (Upper School, 719-434-3546). 

Potential School Closures and E-Learning Plans
We are preparing for a scenario in which schools would elect to or required to be closed for an extended  period of time. In this case, we are exploring a shift to teaching and learning in an online format. 

Our leadership team has been and will continue to work with teachers to develop plans for e-learning. Each division will utilize Google Apps for Education as primary tools being focused on Google Classrooms and Google Hangouts Meet. In preparation for a protracted closure, you may be asked to assist your students with accessing these online resources, particularly with our younger grade levels. Please ensure that your home is prepared with learning tools to aid your student, including high-speed internet, relevant books and textbooks, a family computer/device with video capabilities, printer, and an assortment of standard school supplies (paper, pens/pencils, crayons/markers, ruler, calculator, band instruments, etc.). 

If an e-learning plan is implemented, it will be a learning curve for all of us to carry out this style of education, but we are confident that it aligns concretely with our mission "to prepare students to meet the challenges of a dynamic world!" There will be an element of learning as we go, but we are proud that the majority of our teachers are Google Educator Level I or II and we have led professional development in this area for several years. 

We will communicate the concrete details of such learning models if we make a decision to close school.

Social and Emotional Health
Lastly, I'd like to speak to the emotional side of this situation. This is important because it is something over which we have more direct control. Children, of all ages, and adults need support as they process their complicated emotions and fears about the world in general and COVID-19, specifically. Commit to talking and listening to your family and share the facts about this situation in a way that is age-appropriate for them and lets them feel loved and heard. There is a lot we don't know, but there are many reassuring facts available to process. This is challenging for all of us but the truth is that we cannot get mentally, emotionally or physically stronger without challenges. As Franklin Roosevelt famously said, a "smooth sea never made a skilled sailor." 

While COVID-19 is new and the immediate future is somewhat uncertain, we know from studying history and reflecting on personal growth that turbulent times often make us stronger as individuals and as a community. Contrapositively, if we treat all change and stress as pathological, we can unintentionally heighten the impact of this event on our kids and on ourselves. Let's commit ourselves to intentionally reinforcing positive messages with our children and peers. In doing so we will help our students learn how strong and resilient they truly are.

At any time, feel free to reach out to me directly at aschubach@css.org or the CSS leadership team at leadership@css.org with questions, concerns, or to self-report. 

My thanks to all for the thoughtfulness and patience I see demonstrated in our community every day.

In partnership,

Aaron Schubach
The Colorado Springs School
Head of School

Video and Family Resources to Start Conversations with Kids
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus from NPR modified for Scarlett Middle School
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus from NPR
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