Phase II Re-Entry Planning
Dear SJE Families,

Welcome Home Eagles! All of us at school very much look forward to warmly greeting our students – who we have missed greatly - on August 12. We can all be proud that St. John’s is a strong, tight, and resilient community. Our shared commitment to each other saw us through the spring and will see us emerge from COVID-19 stronger and more connected than ever. Thank you for your patience and support. We will continue to build on our strengths and meet the needs of our students and families.

The school-wide and division-specific policies, procedures, and expectations shared with you today are practical, feasible, and appropriate for child and adolescent developmental stages. They were devised in consultation with health care professionals, St. John’s faculty and administrators, parents, CDC and AAP guidelines, state and national educational organizations, and endorsed by the Board of Trustees. No single action or set of actions will completely eliminate the risk of COVID-19 transmission. From the onset, our goal has been to provide a safe and ‘normal’ school experience for the children and their teachers. The several coordinated interventions we have implemented will greatly reduce that
risk while also ensuring as much stability, predictability, and familiarity to the school routine as possible. We believe this is essential for safe and effective learning.

In addition to the extensive measures taken to safeguard our students’ physical wellbeing, we are equally committed to supporting the social and emotional adjustments that are part of physical return to school following prolonged disruption and isolation. To this end, and thanks to the generous support of a donor, we have partnered with Frameworks of Tampa Bay to create and offer ‘SJE Strong’, a series of interactive virtual workshops for families that aim to enhance the social and emotional skills that students need to return to school strong and resilient after the impact of COVID-19. This program and partnership is exclusive to St. John’s. Details will be provided to you once finalized.

Distance learning is available primarily to support any family for whom a physical return to school before October 7 would present a serious risk to the health of their child or any family member at higher risk of serious complications. Distance learning in August will be fundamentally different to the model provided during the school-wide ‘lockdown.’ Generally speaking, learning will be interactive, with
students expected to follow the daily schedule in place at school from home and via technology. Further details, including what is required of students and parents who participate, are set out in the division documents. Parents have until July 22 to let St. John’s know their decision. The form to communicate this is available via Magnus Health , along with additional forms that need to be completed before the opening of school. In order to access Magnus Health, parents must have a current ‘My Back Pack’ account. If you need help with this, please reach out to Lisa Strauch ( lstrauch@stjohnseagles.org ).

These are indeed challenging and unusual times, to say the least. I close with an appeal to all members of the school community. The policies, procedures, and expectations shared with you cannot fully represent the countless hours of work and dedication put in by school leadership over the summer. Throughout, we have been laser ‘focused’ on preparing to safely reopen our campuses to students and faculty. The success of our efforts is inextricably linked to what happens away from school (at home). August 12 is on the horizon; we ask that families be especially attentive to your child’s travel and interactions during the period leading up to the opening of school. Every effort should be taken to avoid
exposure to COVID-positive friends and relatives.

After reviewing the documents, please reach out to your child’s division director(s) with any questions. Thank you for your support and for sharing your wonderful children with us! We look forward to a wonderful 2020-2021 year and will keep you informed of any new developments. Go Eagles!

Best,

Hugh Jebson
Head of School