COVID-19 School Planning Town Hall Meeting Announced for Parents

Dear CSS Community,

At no point in history have educational leaders been called to innovate as dramatically as we have been tasked during the COVID-19 global pandemic. At each step in our planning we’ve drawn inspiration from our mission, working to align our next steps to be “prepared for a dynamic world.” Our deepest values are affirmed as we develop flexible safety plans guided to honor the head (knowledge), heart (motivations and beliefs), and hands (skills and action) of our families, students, and faculty/staff.

We are optimistically planning a return to campus for in-person learning, of course modifying programs and services as necessary to keep each other safe and healthy. There are known and unknown risks in navigating these uncertain times, but safeguards are being adopted and implemented to elevate our chances of being together. Beyond policy and checklists, we must also adjust our mindset, expectations, and conversations in order to bring such plans to fruition. In a return to campus, we aim to foster belonging over fear, resilience over shame, hopefulness over angst. Emotions and opinions will fluctuate and our community may even experience the COVID-19 cases directly, but paramount to our task is caring for ourselves and those around us in a way that brings us closer as a community and does not divide us. We ask for your partnership, grace, and understanding. Most importantly, we ask you to model these behaviors for your children. Cues from parents, coaches, teachers, and mentors will inform our students’ ability to adapt in this new era.

At CSS, we are grateful for several known differentiators that will set a safe return to campus apart from others:

• Our small class sizes and student:teacher ratios will ensure maximum flexibility to cluster or cohort, and teach in ways where students will continue to be cared for, celebrated, and delighted over while adhering to recommended gathering sizes.

• Our 28-acre campus and 10 buildings will allow for creative and expansive social distancing opportunities.

• A trusted and committed community of students, faculty/staff, and parents who will act in partnership with each other to meet the challenges of the moment.

• Resources to remain nimble and agile in our planning. We will utilize tuition revenue, philanthropic gifts, and our well-connected network to maximize our budget and make wise investments to positively impact the student experience.

While some schools may feel compelled to promise a definitive plan at this time, we are using new information to thoughtfully and responsibly adjust our plans accordingly. Our COVID-19 Task Force comprised of educators, stakeholders, and experts met yesterday and our faculty/staff will convene on Friday around plans. We received El Paso County Public Health’s COVID-19 School Guidance this week and our team is thoughtfully syncing our plans to those advised by local health authorities. We acknowledge the burden felt by families during this complex and emotional time and look forward to bringing you together on Friday, July 24, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. for a special Town Hall meeting to share more about our plans for the fall and the frameworks by which will determine in-person classes or triggers that will put us in e-Learning. This Google Meet was sent to parents via email and the session will be recorded for those who can not attend.

If you would like to discuss concerns or private family situations following the Town Hall meeting, please schedule an appointment with me at ttyler@css.org.