Dear TASIS Community,
I hope that you have enjoyed this beautiful weekend. I want to thank you for your dedication to TASIS during this unprecedented time. I am reminded of one of my favorite maxims from the Taoist master Lao Tzu: "A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind…the soft and supple will prevail." The TASIS community has faced many challenges with great resilience and spirit! Federal and Local Announcements The Swiss Federal Government announced on April 29 that all compulsory schooling (PK-8) will resume on May 11. On April 30, the Canton of Ticino also announced that it will resume school for its compulsory grades on May 11. Here are some of the measures that the cantonal authorities will put into place when reopening.
Feedback from the TASIS Community Throughout the last month, I have received extensive feedback from teachers, parents, and students on the topic of returning from distance learning to live instruction. We have heard that because distance learning is now well established, another transition back to live learning will be disruptive. We have also fielded concerns about the safety of returning to campus and the logistics of travel back to Switzerland for our families who are no longer in the area. While the above reflects the majority of opinions that we have received, some also expressed strong views about the importance of returning to school and returning to our more customary practices as soon as possible. Educational Goals TASIS seeks to "stretch" its students as scholars and as human beings. Our plan to return to campus must meet both educational and personal growth goals for our students. This means that we want to postpone the disruption of yet another transition for our students as long as possible, and we want to minimize the effects of a fragmented daily schedule and hybrid modes of instruction that will necessarily result from a return to school at this time. Although we understand that distance learning is not the same as live learning, we still have important academic learning objectives that we want to reach by the end of the year, and our students and teachers are beginning to find their rhythm as they remain on pace to reach these goals.
Dates for the Return to School: PK–8 Day Students We believe we have a plan that will achieve educational continuity, ensure the safety of our students, faculty, and staff, and address the need for community and closure while also giving families some flexibility in their planning.
Program for the Return to School: PK–8 Day Students We have reviewed several models that local schools and schools around the world are employing in their return to campuses this May. In our model, we want to avoid having teachers and students navigate a hybrid instructional model that involves both live and distance learning at the same time. We also want to avoid staggered schedules where students spend one day on campus and the next day at home. We believe that measures like these reduce the quality of instruction, and TASIS strives to provide a more innovative, effective educational experience for its students.
Programmatic Choices for the Return to School: PK-8 Day Students Starting Monday, May 25, and continuing through Friday, June 5, students will choose between one of two modes of instruction—either distance or live learning. We will send you a separate communication through which you will be able to select which option you prefer. If a student chooses to work on his or her Discovery Project(s) through a distance learning model, then he or she can continue with distance learning at home. If a student chooses to work on his or her Discovery Project(s) live, then he or she will come to campus to do so. (Boarding students will of course engage in the Discovery Projects virtually.)
The Safety Plan During the live learning of May 25-June 5, we will continue to follow all of the measures set by the Swiss Federal Government. Please also refer to our Coronavirus Information page to see a list of protocols and policies we had in place at TASIS before we transitioned to a distance learning model. In addition, TASIS will initiate the following non-exhaustive list of measures.
We will also have our safety plan reviewed by an outside consultant, so the above and more are subject to further development. More details are forthcoming. Other End-of-year Events As we announced previously, due to the federal restrictions referenced above, we will not be able to hold gatherings of more than five people, which means that important end-of-year events like the fifth- and eighth-grade Moving-Up Ceremonies and the Spring Arts Festival will not take place on campus in their traditional format. We will update you on these events as we learn more about the restrictive measures and how long they will remain in place. Final Reflection The work of our teachers, staff, and students has inspired and humbled everyone in our community, and I am confident that this temporary trial will continue to bring out the best in all of us. My endless gratitude to the entire TASIS community for your indomitable spirit! Wishing all of you peace of mind and good health.
Sincerely, |