Dear Fenwick Students and Parents,
As you know, since Thursday, Oct. 29, Fenwick has taken a pause from the hybrid teaching/learning model that was in effect for the first nine weeks of school and moved to a fully remote teaching/learning environment for the past seven school days. As expected when announced, we will resume the hybrid model on Tuesday, November 10.
The schedule for the shortened, four day week will be a B, A, B, A schedule, Tuesday through Friday. The cafeteria will also be open next week. For those who desire lunch service, please place your order with Quest by Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m.
Again, this decision was not made lightly. As we all know, COVID-19 cases are increasing in the Chicagoland area. We will not put our faculty, staff and students, especially those who are immunocompromised, at undue risk. However, with this pause, the nursing staff has caught up with the necessary contact tracing and quarantine requirements as a result of the spike in cases before October 29, and they have been able to keep up with the caseload this week while no students have been in the building.
Since last Friday, Fenwick has been alerted to 12 positive confirmed cases. Another 7 students are symptomatic and awaiting test results. These 19 positive/probable cases are primarily seniors stemming from a gathering over Halloween weekend. Thank you to those who have alerted the nursing staff to positive/probable cases and have cooperated in contact tracing.
We need your cooperation! You must be proactive in alerting the nursing staff to positive/probable cases and potential exposures. It is the unknown potential exposures due to social events in particular that Fenwick is most concerned about when considering the likelihood of in-person schooling. We are very concerned about the health and well-being of the known exposures among our students, faculty and staff, but those numbers are far easier to manage when determining the likelihood of in-person learning.
It is the potential exposures that we suspect, but haven’t heard about directly, that concern us the most when making a decision about in-school learning. For example, we hear of a 40 person party, but we only hear from 10 students/parents that they attended. No students will be punished if identified through contact tracing. Please reach out to the nursing staff with any pertinent information before they have to contact you.
We are all in this together! We all want as much safe, in-school learning as possible for our students. That can only be achieved with your cooperation. We have a three-day weekend upon us and glorious weather. Follow all health and safety guidelines: wear masks, maintain social distance, no large gatherings, wash hands frequently.
Have a wonderful weekend, but do so in a responsible manner. We look forward to seeing the students next week. You can expect to receive another update next Friday.
