March 17, 2020

Regents Daily News:
March 17, 2020

School Closure Plans and At-Home Instruction

Dear Regents Parents,

Thank you for being patient with school leadership as we’ve worked to develop a plan for the coming days. The extraordinary developments related to COVID-19 have required us all to make changes, and we want to do so with purposeful deliberation. Our primary concern is to ensure the safety of our students and our school community, even as we continue to seek to fulfill our school’s mission.

After much prayerful deliberation, we have decided to suspend on-campus classes until we receive guidance from local and state health officials and the CDC that would indicate that we need no longer do so. This means, in effect, that the school is closed through next week and almost certainly for an indeterminate period of time beyond that. Suspending on-campus classes allows us to minimize exposure and practice social distancing.

This week our administration and faculty are preparing for the possibility of an extended closure by planning curriculum, training for distance learning, and getting ready to manage the logistics of this transition. There will not be academic requirements for our students from March 16-20.

We are planning to begin distance learning on Monday, March 23. I know there will be many questions about this at-home instruction. However, we will be communicating in the coming days about the logistics of our plans and what all of this will mean for your family. Thank you again for your patience as we prepare. There is a lot of uncertainty about the coming weeks, but we do anticipate being able to end the school year on May 19 as scheduled.

Here is a snapshot of what to expect (again, more details to come in a couple of days):

  • On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, teachers will be at school planning and preparing for distance learning.
  • This Friday, March 20, families will be able to enter the school and pick up student materials (books, school supplies, materials, etc.). We will announce a schedule so that there are only a few people in the building at a time.
  • On Monday, March 23, students will begin lessons at home via distance learning. This will not be by way of live online classes, but teachers will provide assignments, instructional videos, and support via such platforms as Google classroom. Listen for more details by the end of the week.

We want you to know that our custodian and our teachers are working hard to clean and disinfect the school building this week.

Here some notes related to cancellations and suspension of school activities:

  • The 6th-8th Grade Parent Meeting scheduled for this Thursday, March 19, has been cancelled.
  • All track meets have been cancelled, and track practice has been suspended indefinitely.
  • TAPPS is conducting an information session this week, and we will be able to share more about speech/academics, music, and art when we learn more.
  • Ladies’ and Men’s Ensembles as well as Drama have been suspended indefinitely.
  • The Big Serve is likely to be rescheduled for a later day. Please continue to invite friends, family and corporate sponsors to sponsor your children! As you know, the Big Serve is our school’s primary yearly fundraiser, and it is crucial that we continue to seek donations for our school. We can invite sponsors knowing that we still plan to have a day of service later this spring or this summer, as we are able.
  • The Noble Scholars banquet scheduled for March 30 has been cancelled.
  • Administrations of the SAT and ACT through May have been cancelled. Mrs. Alders has communicated details about these cancellations.

We will continue to communicate as details about cancellations or rescheduled events/activities become clear.

And let’s all remember the words of Proverbs 19:21 — “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” We are trusting the Lord during these uncertain days, and we are confident that He is working out His perfect purpose for us. We may be distant socially, but we are together in faith, hope, and love.

Pax Christi,

David Bryant

Headmaster

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