From the Head of School: Parent Survey

Dear Duchesne Families,

I hope this communication finds you and your family enjoying the summer months with a much less stressful family routine. The Crisis Management Team recognizes that while enjoying your summer, you are awaiting decisions surrounding the reopening of school for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year. To that end, we have spent the past weeks reviewing and assessing possible strategies that might ensure a full return of our students and employees to the campus on August 10. 

First and foremost, our planning has focused on our ability to offer an exceptional standard of learning, while also affording an exceptional standard of care for health and safety. Our work has been informed by professional medical opinions, instructional experts, and the ongoing mandates and/or recommendations of local and state governing bodies. Currently, the team has devised three possible scenarios that might apply when we reopen. These three scenarios are listed below in no order of prescription and are under consideration for a mid-July decision.

Scenario 1:  Open Campus

• This scenario would most resemble what our students have traditionally experienced at Duchesne with standard class sizes, however, there would be protocol modifications to their experience. These modifications could include, but not be limited to regular health screenings, routine hand hygiene, universal face coverings, temperature checks, and social distancing modifications for large gatherings.
• Remote learning would also be available for families that might express a need.  The remote learning program will be enhanced by extensive professional development being offered to our faculty this summer by nationally recognized remote learning specialists.

Scenario 2:  Open Campus with Contact Minimization

• In this scenario, similar modifications would occur as noted above, however, class sizes would be smaller, allowing for contact minimization within the classes.  Additional classroom spaces would be created on campus and supervised synchronous instruction would occur in additional classrooms and learning spaces. 
• Once again, remote learning would be available.

Scenario 3:  Remote Learning

• In this scenario, remote learning would occur, if required. It would be similar to your daughter’s previous remote learning experience yet complemented by the professional development that is currently ongoing for our faculty.

Whereby these scenarios might apply to reentry protocols if we were to start tomorrow, please be advised that as the ebb and flow of the virus continues, new approaches may be required. The team will continue to monitor best practices and adjust scenarios as needed. 

We do feel it is extremely important to receive your feedback on the proposed scenarios and on remote learning. Your valuable input will help us understand the needs of your family and your daughter. Please consider filling out the short survey below and submitting your responses no later than 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23. 

Submit Survey

Rest assured that our work is not complete and will be ongoing throughout the summer.  We are eager for a successful start to the new school year, however, to make a premature decision on how it will occur, based on current data, would not be prudent.  Our plans must remain flexible.

Thank you so much for your patience with our process of assessment and most importantly, for your confidence in our ability to care for and to educate your daughter in the Sacred Heart tradition. While we may not be able to control the medical and environmental issues that we are facing, we can control our deliberate and well-thought-out responses to the issues that affect our delivery of instruction for the girls. 

As always, your support and trust are greatly appreciated, and we are looking forward to welcoming your family back to campus on August 10!  We will remain in touch as plans evolve.

With care for our community,

Patricia Swenson  
Head of School