Dear SSIS Parents,
Yesterday, the principals and I met with representatives from the PTA to open a face-to-face dialogue about the challenges that dealing with COVID-19 is presenting in our community. Parents addressed what has been working with Virtual School, and also what would need to change if the school would have to remain closed through March. I was very grateful for the candid feedback and the thoughtful questions put forth by parents.
Following the directives of the People’s Committee, SSIS will remain closed next week. Together with other international schools, consulates, and embassies, as well as the People’s Committee, we continue our discussions as we seek further guidance on the earliest possible opening date. We are all eager to see your children back at school as soon as possible, and we will continue to keep you informed with timely updates.
Virtual School Survey
Early next week, we will send out a “Virtual School” survey. The purpose of the survey is for you to give us feedback on the quality of the education your children have received through Virtual School. I urge you to take time to complete the survey – it is only through your feedback that we can continue to improve the Virtual School experience for your child.
Schedule Changes to Standardized Testing (PSAT & CTP)
As the impact of Novel Coronavirus changes for each day that goes by, we are continuously reviewing the upcoming schedules to avoid any potential disruptions to your child’s academic progress.
As a result, we have decided to move the PSAT 8/9 and the CTP for grades 3 – 7 to the Fall semester (October). This will ensure that we can focus without interruption on your child’s classroom learning, once they return to campus. Moving these tests to the Fall will allow teachers to use the results to support your child’s learning throughout the year.
Well-Being Webinar
We understand that this can be a challenging situation for families. To lend you further support, we have engaged the Institute of Positive Education to provide our parent community with a well-being webinar on the topic “Optimizing Resilience.”
The webinar will be hosted online, Wednesday, February 26, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. We encourage you to attend as you will receive practical strategies for managing stress, challenges, and adversity more effectively.
Registration for the webinar is open now and you may REGISTER HERE. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a link that you will use to join the webinar next Wednesday, February 26.
I hope you have a happy and healthy weekend with your children. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
All good wishes,
Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School
