Summer Update | July 2020

July 23, 2020

Dear Trinity Families,

 

Welcome to the 2020–21 school year! In particular, welcome to all families new to Trinity. You and your children are joining a wonderful community.

 

This year, I appreciate your flexibility as dates and events are subject to change, especially as uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and federal, state, and local guidelines evolve. We are on schedule to re-open our campus and welcome back our students, beginning with back-to-school camps the week of July 27.

 

At the beginning of July, I emailed our Pandemic Response Plan (PRP) to families. The PRP is based on guidelines from entities such as the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health and can be found on the 2020–2021 School Year board in MyTrinity. We will remain responsive and adaptable and keep the following at the forefront of our continual planning: the health and safety of our community and the importance of elementary-aged children receiving in-person instruction.

 

We are committed to keeping our campus open to students, and I am grateful for our exceptional physical and human resources that will enable us to provide an at-school education within new health and safety guidelines. You will see how we are implementing new protocols, such as face coverings and temperature checks, and being creative with our use of space, schedules, and technology.

 

I am so proud of our teachers, who have shown incredible flexibility and loyalty since the pandemic began and who are eager to be with their students in person. Members of the Academic Leadership Team, myself included, have held multiple virtual meetings with faculty since the end of the year to keep them advised of the School’s campus reopening plan, to solicit feedback and ideas, and to brainstorm with their teams. We take the safety of our teachers and staff as seriously as that of our students and families and are taking their specific concerns to heart. Teachers’ input on the return process has been invaluable, and I cannot express how grateful I am that they are rising to the challenge of serving Trinity families while maintaining our new health and safety guidelines and managing the impact of the pandemic on their lives.

 

We recognize that through the implementation of our coordinated efforts, we can greatly reduce, not eliminate, the risk of COVID-19 transmission in our community. We strive to balance our mitigation policies with the known benefits of children experiencing in-person learning at school.

 

Thank you to the parents who completed our recent survey. Based on your responses, we have created an FAQ section that has been added to the bottom of the PRP.

Also based on responses to our survey, I understand that families may have uncertainties about returning to school regardless of underlying medical conditions. We want to support all families in this ever-changing landscape, and next week we will communicate our plans for distance learning while the campus is open and if the campus must close. If you are considering in-home learning options for your Kindergartner-Sixth Grader or have concerns about your child returning for on-campus learning, please reach out to your child’s division head (Rhonda Mitchell for EED and Sarah Barton Thomas for UED) as soon as possible.

 

Information about updated procedures, such as drop-off and pickup, are outlined below. Also outlined below are our reimagined start-of-school events that have gone virtual for the health and safety of our community.

 

This year, all students will have their own electronic device. For students with health concerns, we will continue to provide remote learning if they need to stay at home. If we must revert to full virtual learning, we have refined our distance learning plans. Students will still experience the meaningful and joyful learning that is a hallmark of the Trinity Experience and will participate in developmentally appropriate schedules that are a balance of live and recorded content.

 

As an elementary school, Trinity’s program revolves around the following core tenet: developing in our students a strong academic and character foundation while also fostering their continued curiosity toward and engagement in school and learning. This strong cognitive and social-emotional base supports our graduates’ continued happiness and success in middle school and beyond. While looking toward the future, Trinity also never forgets to cherish the wonder of childhood and the preciousness of children’s elementary school years. To me, this balance of enjoying the present while preparing for the future is the essence of an elementary education and reinforces why it is so important that our students are on campus daily this year with their caring teachers.

 

In addition to our teachers who nurture and inspire your children, you, our Trinity parents, support the School in countless ways. Thank you in advance for your flexibility, can-do attitude, volunteerism, and philanthropy as we work together. It’s this ethos of possibilities that makes Trinity the exemplary place it is and will ensure the 2020–21 school year is memorable and meaningful for your children.

 

Enjoy your final weeks of summer as we look forward to another great school year!

 

Sincerely,

Joe

 

Head of School