Message from the Headmaster (March 12, 2020)
Thursday, March 12, 2020
To the Brookwood School Community,
Brookwood School is open for business and continues to thrive!
As I have shared, we are keeping a close watch on the COVID-19 situation. On a daily basis, we are reviewing information from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, independent school organizations, news sources, and national, state, and local governments. We are in close communication with local health officials about this changing situation.
Our leadership team is convening frequently to assess status updates, review emergency protocols, discuss possible scenarios, and formulate contingency plans based on the level of threat that COVID-19 poses to our community.
This is our goal:
Take the proper prevention steps necessary to keep our school community safe with the intent of maintaining as much normalcy as possible at school.
At the moment…
All school activities will proceed as planned. Additional precautions, such as required use of hand sanitizer and health screenings, will be taken at each activity to avoid the potential spread of infection.
However….
Please be prepared for the potential for school activities to be canceled or postponed on short notice. Changes will be announced by email and/or through our text notification system.
As some of you may be aware, today, Governor Kemp has asked Georgia schools to “do what’s best for (your) community.” At the moment, we believe that it is best for our community that Brookwood remain open. We will continue to evaluate this situation.
On a daily basis, this is what we are doing:
- Our janitorial company has continued with an intensified cleaning of the school each night. The product that they are using to disinfect surfaces is hospital-grade.
- Additionally, teachers and administrative staff are disinfecting surfaces each day.
- Handwashing signs have been placed in each bathroom.
- Faculty and students have been trained in and are practicing social distancing. Primarily, this involves avoiding handshakes and hugs in exchange for elbow bumps, fist bumps, or, for the adventurous, the Vulcan Salute.
- Specifically, in athletic contests, students are asked to elbow bump, rather than shake hands, at the end of the game and use hand sanitizer.
- Further, teachers have been asked to refer students who appear to be sick to the Front Office for a health assessment.
Here is what we need from you, our families:
- Please reinforce social distancing practices.
- Please keep your children home if they are sick. Students MUST stay at home if they have flu-like symptoms for 48 hours after they are fever free. Please note that this is an intensification from the previous guidelines, in which the waiting period was 24 hours.
- Please let the Front Office and your Division Director know if you or your student(s) have potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- Please give strong consideration to your travel plans, especially for spring break. Travel during spring break poses risk of unwittingly bringing COVID-19 into our community.
- For those who do travel, please observe CDC Travel Guidelines and recognize that travelers returning from high risk countries will be asked to self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to school.
- Travelers returning from areas in the country and internationally where the virus is spreading, or cruise ship travel, may be asked to self-quarantine.
Learning Continuity Plan:
We are finalizing our Learning Continuity Plan. In the case of extended school closure, classes will continue online, and the faculty will use a variety of digital tools to teach remotely. Specific tools, procedures, and expectations for each division are currently being refined and will take different forms depending on grade level and subject area. We will ensure learning experiences are developmentally appropriate and instructionally feasible. In general, students should expect that classes will run on the same daily schedule in a digital format. Attendance will be taken.
Final Thoughts:
This is an unprecedented time for all of us. It will pose a strain on each of us for the foreseeable future. Please take the time to take care of yourselves and those around you. Please talk with your children about COVID-19 in terms that they can understand. Our calm tone will help those around us to be calm. Here is one resource that can be useful.
Pray.
Additional communication will be provided when appropriate. Thank you for your partnership, understanding, and support of the Brookwood Family.
Keep calm and Warrior On!
Warmly,
Dr. Randy Watts
Headmaster
Brookwood School
Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.