Dear UHS Families,
Thank you for your flexibility and patience during our cancellation and rescheduling of our next parent meeting on campus reopening and COVID-19. Upon reflection, we felt that a more comprehensive call after the Oct. 30 San Francisco Department of Health visit and our initial roll-out of students reorienting to campus would be timelier and more informative. We will hold our next meeting on our reopening November 18 at 5 p.m. We will be sure to send several reminders and the Zoom link— our usual PA meeting link—well in advance.
It has been a busy time behind the scenes at UHS! Members of our administrative team met with the SFDPH this morning, and we have been working away at preparing our campus and community for a safe return. We expect to hear back from SFDPH this coming week so we are on track for student campus visits during the week of Nov. 9. The week of the 16th is reserved as a backup for inclement weather.
The UHS leadership team has taken a measured approach to our decisions since the start of the pandemic, centering 1) care for student and faculty/staff safety and well-being, 2) continuity of our academic program and 3) responsiveness to the current science and campus conditions.
We believe that getting ahead of ourselves during this unpredictable time limits our thinking. As such, we have made plans based only on reliable facts and viable options. As educators, we know that in order for adolescents to learn effectively, they must experience safety, predictability and agency. To that end, we are taking this significant transition one step at a time. When we can ensure that a smaller cohort can safely and responsibly be on campus for an extended period, we will broaden our plan to include more people for more time. As conditions change, we will respond appropriately to meet our students’ needs.
We cannot wait to be back on campus as a community. We get tremendous joy from working with our students. We remain confident in our approach and in the prospect of being back together again soon.
Below we are providing some more information on the upcoming November re-orientation activities. Please read carefully and be in touch with orientation-related questions or concerns.
Schedule: Each grade should expect to have one afternoon on campus during these two weeks. Our daily class schedule has been altered to allow travel time to campus. Classes will end at 1:30 p.m. each of these days.
Transportation Drop-off at 2:30 p.m. will take place at Paul Goode Field (768 Portola St). Pick up at 5:00 p.m. will be at the Washington Street entrance (3150 Washington Street) of our campus. In order to avoid traffic congestion, please drop off and pick up your student as efficiently as possible.
We recognize that transportation challenges are amplified by the pandemic. If you anticipate that transportation to or from campus will be an issue for your family, please email Alexandra Simmons by Tuesday, 11/3 at noon so we have time to partner with you to find a solution.
Preparing for Arrival Students should bring their mask(s), comfortable shoes for walking, a water bottle, an item to tie-dye and a plastic bag to place it in (for sophomores and seniors), and refrain from bringing large bags or backpacks.
Every student must complete the One Medical Daily COVID-19 Check-In before coming to campus and be prepared to show the results on their phone or as a printed PDF. We must also have a Risk Acknowledgement and Mutual Responsibility form on file for your student in order for them to participate. We will not allow participation until these tasks are completed.
With all the logistics and work of reopening, we remain excited to see your students again—though masked and at a distance! We know how eager they are to be around one another and back on campus, and we thank you all for your partnership and patience as we wade through these waters.
With care, Julia Russell Eells Head of School Alexandra Simmons Dean of Students |