Confronting COVID-19

We are in close contact with our local, state and national accrediting organizations, and we are also following all directives from Miami-Dade County. This past weekend, we deep-cleaned all surfaces in dining halls, classrooms and athletic facilities per health department protocols. We have disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer available on both campuses. We will continue to disinfect the campus using recommended products.

We have encouraged our students to do the following to guard against any and all contagious infection:

We are still in flu season and the seasonal flu vaccination – not for COVID-19 – is available if you would like to pursue that. Remember, if your child is sick, you should keep your child home from school. When you report the absence, please follow the instructions in the Student Handbook.

We are also prepared to activate virtual learning in the event of a shutdown. We have created a virtual school that will allow our students to attend their classes and complete assignments and assessments remotely. We will share more detailed information on that plan with our parents soon.

You should remain calm, be attentive to updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reinforce what we are communicating to our students. If you do keep a sick child home, we ask you inform us when you report the absence if your child has a fever and/or flu-like symptoms.

The school has cancelled all overseas spring break trips and is currently monitoring all upcoming local and U.S. trips. As of now, we have not cancelled student trips in the United States.

We are following CDC guidelines with respect to travel and we expect our families to do the same. We expect our families to avoid travel to CDC Warning Level 3 or Alert Level 2 locations, which can be viewed here.

Our policy is that any person — including all students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and visitors to either of our campuses — who has recently traveled to a country which is listed as Warning Level 3 or Alert Level 2 will be required to provide proof that they were in the United States and symptom-free for 14 days before coming to campus. Proof would be a letter from a physician, much like we require of our students after an extended absence from school. The Head of the Middle School, who can be contacted here, and the Head of the Upper School, who can be contacted here, are the points of contact on this issue.

As of this writing, China, Iran, Italy, and South Korea are listed as Warning Level 3. Japan is listed as CDC Alert Level 2. Hong Kong is listed as Watch Level 1.

We ask you to follow the official information on travel and the CDC warnings. If you or someone in your family travels to those countries, you must report that information to healthline@ransomeverglades.org. We ask that you share in the responsibility of limiting the potential spread of infection. If you have any questions about upcoming trips, contact the Head of the Middle School here or Head of the Upper School here.

The World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/  Good information here on how to cope with stress during an outbreak

CDC COVID-19 Situation Summary: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html

CDC Traveler’s Health: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/

Florida Department of Health: http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/index.html

Here’s the bottom line. Let’s do all we can to keep our kids healthy, happy and successful in their studies. Help them find balance in their lives, and reassure them that their safety and welfare are our primary focus.

That offers a great segue back to Dr. Damour.

Had I focused this piece on her talk, I would have encouraged you to heed her admonishment to “get the technology of out their bedrooms” so that our kids can sleep and recharge without the constant distraction of social media (and online programs). I would also have suggested that you buy her book if you haven’t already: Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls, and use her questions and topics for discussion at the back to stimulate conversation with your girls and boys. Eighty percent of what Dr. Damour writes about applies to boys. I also would have wanted you to hear how focused my colleagues are on helping our students make the most of their talents and the extraordinary opportunity of being part of Ransom Everglades, which includes addressing stress and anxiety.

We now face the urgent task of working through what might become a disruptive reality.

It is our collective responsibility to adhere to the recommended guidelines and we expect our families to be attentive to all communications from the school.

 
Penny Townsend
Head of School
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