Dear Academy Parents,
Prayerful in all things.
It is with great wonder and gratitude that I write to you today. God’s grace, ever abundant, is evident. We are four weeks into the 2020 school year—one filled with cautious optimism, masked marauders, truncated routines for the sake of student safety, and a certain simplicity regarding our goals: one foot in front of the other. We are taking one day at a time, pausing to offer gratitude at the conclusion, and ramping up for another one.
Surprisingly, we’ve had only brushes with the virus at this point. Certainly a few families have had to quarantine along the way, some due to close contact and some due to contracting COVID (with the necessary notifications for any primary exposures), but by the grace of God, we have yet to have the entirety of any one class reach a full direct exposure. Our 707 students and 109 employees have, thus far, been given a tremendous amount of grace in navigating the uncertainties.
With that happy news, but with a sober-mindedness toward the eight months of education that remain: we consulted once again with our Academy Physicians Advisory Group last week. Having reviewed national stats, local stats, pediatric stats, and much more; we have decided to stay-the-course with our student protocols for the time being. Though the Academy has continued infection-free, the rate of infection statewide continues to be something that we watch carefully. Wanting to provide as much preventative care as possible for our teachers and families, and wanting our school cases to remain either low or non-existent, we have a clear case for continuing our current protocols for students as stated earlier this summer.
For some, this news is a relief. For others, it could not be more annoying. In both cases, we recognize a certain patience toward us—one that we do not take for granted. We are making every effort at prayerfully sustaining the greatest possible advantage for our in-person school year. Right now—we are ahead of the curve, and by the grace of God we will stay there.
We pray for you. We pray for your students. We know that students grow weary of being ‘muzzled’. We acknowledge the wild inconvenience. But we ask your continued partnering with us. Your students are pure joy, and we could not be happier to be teaching them in person!
With our love,
Nate+