November 16, 2020
Dear Patriot Parents,
It’s hard to believe that we have already been back to school for almost three full months. November has been a bit different than September and October, because of the sudden increase in community spread of COVID-19 in Hillsdale County. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we transitioned some students between in-person and virtual instruction. Your support has made every change, big or small, easier on your children and our staff. While we cannot guarantee that classroom closures and/or quarantines won’t be necessary moving forward, what we can promise is that we will continue to act swiftly, communicate effectively and make decisions with the best interest of our staff and students in mind.
Last night, Governor Whitmer held a press conference in which a new Emergency Order from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was announced. This order included items that impact schools in Michigan. Beginning Wednesday, November 18th, in-person instruction for all high schools in Michigan will be suspended for three weeks. The order allows for K-8 students to continue receiving in-person instruction at the discretion of the local school district, in coordination with the local health department.
Hillsdale Preparatory School believes that students learn best when they receive face-to-face instruction. Therefore, it has been decided that we will remain open and offer in-person instruction to our students under the current Emergency Order and today’s conditions in the county.
Many factors go into the decision for our school to remain open for in-person learning. We know that throughout the course of this pandemic, information and scenarios are ever-changing. We ask that you continue to be flexible and patient if changes are required. The #1 priority of Hillsdale Preparatory School is to offer an education to students in a safe and healthy environment. These decisions are never taken lightly and they are never simple or easy. Below are some of the factors that are continuously considered:
Community spread of COVID-19 - We continue to receive weekly updates from the local health department.
The number of students that need to move to virtual learning within the course of a week.
Staffing- many classroom and school closures across the state have been due to lack of available staff.
Current orders, regulations and recommendations from the local health department, the state health department and the CDC.
Communication with other school leaders in the county and across the state.
We appreciate your patience, flexibility and support as we navigate this challenging time. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions that you may have. We are a family and we are in this together!
Educationally Yours,
Annie Fowler
Head of School