Dear SSIS Parents,
According to directive 708, the HCMC’s People’s Committee is allowing Grade 12 students to return to campus on Monday, March 9. However, unless we receive additional updates from the Vietnamese Government, no other grades will be allowed to return to campus until Monday, March 16.
Although we are all very eager for our students to return to campus, we understand that the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee is doing its utmost to keep the community safe and healthy.
In compliance with the Vietnamese Government, an updated health questionnaire must be submitted for EACH student in Grade 12 and will be sent separately by email for parents to complete.
In anticipation of our students returning to campus, the District 7 People’s Committee conducted a schoolwide inspection yesterday. They reviewed our health and safety protocols and ensured that we are prepared to welcome our students back. The inspection committee was impressed with the routines and protocols that are in place at SSIS and praised us for the many heightened measures we have implemented to ensure the health and safety of our community.
I know that as a result of the extended school closure, our community has had many questions regarding the school schedule for the coming months; we have made several changes in the schedule to ensure that we maximize your children’s classroom time and face-to-face instructional hours with teachers. You will see them listed below.
In addition to the following list, we will extend the school day by one hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays once all students are back on campus.
| Gain | Date | Activity |
| +0.5 | March 10 | Grades 8 & 9 PSAT have moved to Fall 2020 |
| +1 | March 20 | Adjusted parent-teacher conferences to allow for another instructional day |
| +4.5 | March 23 – 26 | Project X canceled for this year, increasing students’ face-to-face time with teachers by 4 instructional days |
| +0.5 | March 27 | Changed from half-day of instruction to full-day of instruction |
| +1.5 | April 9-24 | CTPs for grade 3 – 7 have been rescheduled until Fall 2020 |
| +0.5 | May 18 | Changed from half-day of instruction to full-day of instruction |
We have had to remain flexible as the potential dates of re-entry have remained fluid, that is why Spring Break will remain as scheduled, Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3. Please note that Friday, March 27, is a full day of instruction and no longer an early dismissal day.
Finally, let me remind all of our community that as you finalize your plans for a week of well-deserved rest and relaxation during Spring Break, I urge you, as I have urged our faculty and staff, to take all travel advisories seriously. We all know how rapidly travel recommendations from the W.H.O. and other agencies, as well as governments, have changed. Let us remember how easily we could jeopardize the well-being of ourselves and our community if we choose not to follow the travel advisories.
All best wishes,
Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School
