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October 1, 2020
Dear Barrie Middle and Upper School Parents and Students,
Thank you so much for your role in launching a successful 2020-2021 school year. We are grateful for the partnership with our students, faculty, and parents in creating a safe and robust learning environment.
We write to you to share an update on reopening the Middle and Upper School in person.
In the last weeks, our COVID-19 Task Force has assessed the health and educational risks and benefits of in-person versus distance learning. After careful consideration, the Task Force has recommended a plan designed to balance critical safety concerns with the value of limited and focused campus based activities. What this Means in Practice: Between now and late January, the Middle and Upper School will:
Our decision to remain virtual for classes rests on a number of important factors:
Forging a Balanced Approach: Throughout our assessment process, our goal has been to prioritize and maintain an uninterrupted academic experience for students while allowing for a small number of intentional and focused on-campus activities to supplement learning and social-emotional well-being. We believe this middle path offers students, faculty, and staff important opportunities to forge connections and maintain momentum as we face this pandemic together.
Timeline Moving Forward: Between now and the mid winter, we plan to reassess area health conditions and our program of virtual classes and on-campus activities. We will communicate any changes in late-January.
Thank you for all of your support as we chart our course in this very unprecedented year. As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kristin Arndt
Jon Kidder BARRIE SCHOOL 13500 Layhill Road Silver Spring MD 20906 301-576-2800 p | 301-576-2802 f | barrie.org |