As we look ahead we are filled with hope; hope that the fall will find us all healthy and happy; hope that we can safely come together as a community dedicated to learning; hope that we can reach even more students who deserve the type of education we are able to provide at Park Academy.
Certainly, as the fall approaches, we know that things will look and feel different. We have many questions to answer over the next couple of months but I believe we are up to that task. Recently the Oregon Department of Education released their guidelines and recommendations for opening in the fall. Unlike many larger institutions, we believe that we will be able to implement recommendations and best practices allowing us to open for full-time, on-site instruction. There have been some questions about other alternative options. We believe that it is in the best interest of the students to have connections to other students that on-site education provides and it is the format in which we are best able to deliver our program with fidelity.
We are working on a number of measures to prepare Park Academy for the fall including, scheduling adaptations, room changes, desk dividers, masks, signage, hand sanitization stations, as well as changes to recess and lunch procedures, use of the common space and new measures for music, theater, and PE. As soon as we feel we have more concrete information to share about the fall we will communicate it to you, our community, and will have opportunities for dialog.
In the meantime, enjoy the summer and the sunshine, break away from those screens for a while and recharge your batteries for the fall!