Head's Weekly Message — March 5, 2021

Dear Mayfield Senior School Parents,

 

As the virus case numbers in Los Angeles County continue to fall, I am becoming so excited by the prospect of getting back to in-person instruction on our beautiful campus! Almost 100% of our faculty and staff have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, so I am more certain than ever that we will achieve our April 8 reopening goal, and I just can’t wait for our community to be together again.

 

This week, we filed all the required reopening documents with the state and Pasadena Department of Health. Those documents are also posted on our website. Our plan prioritizes the safety of our community while maximizing the opportunity for our students and faculty to teach and learn together. Our hybrid model divides our students into two groups, so that half of each grade level will be on campus at the same time, while the other students participate remotely via Zoom. Dividing the students in this way allows for the smallest sections for each class, with enough space in each classroom for distancing. Each student will be assigned to either the Monday/Tuesday group or the Thursday/Friday group, and siblings will be kept together.

 

Assured by our colleagues around the country who are using this hybrid model, we feel confident of success. Our teachers have begun practicing these hybrid techniques in their classrooms so that they are comfortable with the technology, and we will begin training our students on all the protocols that we must follow starting next Wednesday, March 10, when our 9th- and 11th-graders are invited to come to campus, and the following Wednesday, March 17, for our 10th- and 12th-graders. Students will have a chance to walk through their schedules and become familiar with the traffic flow on campus. They will also be given instructions about lunch and free periods (all monitored by adults), hand hygiene, physical distancing requirements, and the proper use of face coverings. We know this sounds like a lot, but we are working on ways to make all this fun and enjoyable for our girls.

 

We are also going to talk with the girls about the choices they will be asked to make about their off-campus activities. The reality of the situation is that everyone must be very careful to avoid gatherings that might lead to virus transmission. We are going to have to be very strict about this, especially once we are back on campus, so that everyone can feel safe. If we are given evidence that a student has attended a gathering of this type (non-family members in a group without face coverings or distancing), that student will not be allowed on campus and will be required to attend school remotely for 14 days. We so want to avoid this necessity, so we will be asking our students to think very carefully about the choices that they make. We will also be required to enforce all travel restrictions that are in place when we reopen.

 

In the meantime, I am very much looking forward to being with our seniors and their moms for our special luncheon at Annandale next Wednesday, March 10. I also can’t wait to be entertained by our amazing students at the “Cubs Cabaret” starting on Thursday, March 11. It’s going to be a great week!

 

Finally—admissions letters for the Mayfield Senior School Class of 2025 will be posted today. Thanks to all the parents who have supported our admissions programing with such dedication and love. I know you will join me in praying for our future Cubs as they make their important high school decision.

 

With Love and Gratitude,