Diane Borgmann
Dear Sycamore Community,
Did anyone notice that Spring arrived yesterday? Amidst all of the worries and concerns, new life is beginning!
I'm sure you are all aware of Governor Holcomb's announcement yesterday that all public and non-public schools should close through May 1, which would mean that schools would resume on Monday, May 4. In the interest of the health of our community, Sycamore will comply with that request. In light of that decision, we will go forward with our Distance Learning Plan, with the exception of Monday, April 13. That is the day that we had planned to return to school, and teachers had planned to implement our DLP until then. On April 13, we will allow our teachers back in the building to plan and gather additional resources. We will resume our Distance Learning Plan on Tuesday, April 14.
The COVID-19 situation in our country is evolving quickly. We are all navigating uncharted waters, so patience and flexibility are paramount. Remember that your kids are watching your responses and taking instruction from you. They are resilient, and so are you. I hope your learning activities are going smoothly, and I hope you are building some fun into your days. If you have some fun pictures of the activities in which you and your kids are involved, please share. If you send those to Rob Nichols, he will be able to share some on social media. I suspect we may all learn some big and positive lessons during this uncomfortable and trying time. We may learn how to be less busy and frenzied and actually enjoy our homes and our families more. If you are having any difficulties with implementation of the Distance Learning Plan, please contact Sycamore's Technology Department or your Division Head.
Several of you have asked questions about fees and refunds. You will receive a credit on your Smart Tuition accounts for lunches that had been purchased from March 16 through our planned return date of May 4. Session 4 of After-School Activities has not yet been billed, with the exception of a few activities that were combined in Sessions 3 and 4. In those cases, you will receive a credit for the Session 4 fees. If you have questions about your individual account, please contact Patrick Juday.
Currently, we have not cancelled our Summer Programs. If we were to cancel, you would receive a full refund/credit for classes for which you were registered. If we do not cancel Summer Programs, and you would like to withdraw for any reason, we would like to consider those requests after May 4. We will notify you as soon as a decision is made about Summer Programs.
I am in touch with a group of Indianapolis school heads as well as colleagues in ISACS and NAIS. We are sharing ideas, obstacles, solutions, and plans. I'm attaching an article from an NAIS heads' group; I think it's a good one for all of us.
I really hate working this way. I miss you all! I miss daily interactions with the kids! We know, however, that this is the right and necessary thing to do, and we will do it as well as we possibly can!
Thanks so much for your support, strength, and positivity! We can all nurture each other, even virtually. Stay well!
Onward and upward!
Best regards,
Diane