RBS Coronavirus Update 2
Saturday, March 14, 2020
From the Executive Director
RBS Fast Facts:
RBS Open on Monday (as of this communication)
Additional cleaning/sanitizing initiated after school yesterday
Zero known cases of COVID-19 among RBS staff or families
Student Transportation to RBS is a district decision - Please check!
Remote learning options are available if you keep your child home
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Yesterday, the number of Coronavirus alerts, recommendations, and suggestions from government agencies, health experts, fellow school administrators, and parents nearly crashed our email system. In spite of the dizzying string of communication and widespread fear, the calm and positivity on display by our school staff was overwhelming. I could not be more proud of the response of our incredible Rock Brook team. Throughout the day, it was clearly evident that every member of our staff was focused on teaching and attending to the needs of our students. When not directly engaged with students, our prep periods and lunch breaks were dedicated to further refining our Digital Distance Learning (DDL) plan and preparing lessons in the event of a mandated school closure.
As the growing research indicates, “social distancing” is the primary strategy to reduce the eventual spread of COVID-19, and hundreds of school districts around the state are now closing for weeks at a time, rather than just a day or two. However, as I shared with you yesterday, we understand the critical importance for your children to receive the services we provide, and we will remain open to provide those services as long as we are able.
Should a directive to close Rock Brook come, we know that it will be yet another challenge for our families to face. However, successfully facing challenges is nothing new to you and we will do everything we can to provide support. As we continue to stay open, many of our sending districts will not be providing transportation, so please check with your local school district.
Some parents have already made the difficult choice to keep their children home because they (or other family members) have a compromised immune system or out of a desire to follow health and governmental recommendations. If you decide to keep your child home, while Rock Brook is open, please be sure to call us as you would for any other day of absence. Also, feel free to directly contact your child’s teacher and related services team by email and they will provide you with information related to our Digital Distance Learning (DDL) plan.
Should we be mandated to close our school, we will forward information to you regarding the activation of our DDL plan. We understand that we cannot replace the organic and authentic experiences that occur through in-person teacher-student interactions. However, we are hopeful that this difficult situation will help all of us appreciate new possibilities for students to hone their technology skills, expand their level of independence, and strengthen their resolve and perseverance in the face of disruptions to their routines.
Please know we are here for you and will navigate this challenge together!
Glenn Famous