Dear Parents of Students in G9 and G12,
I am very pleased to share our plan to welcome students of grades 9 and 12 onto campus December 13-16. In keeping with the directives issued by the People’s Committee of HCMC, we have designed a reopening plan that meets the following goals:
- the health and well-being of our community is maintained;
- introduction to the community for new members and reconnection for returning members;
- high-quality teaching and learning to continue and meet the needs of students who are on campus, virtual, and remote.
In order to meet these goals, we have more detailed information for our parents and students provided below about our health and safety measures and the schedule for the week.
Health and Safety
We will follow the 5K measures to ensure our community’s continued health and well-being.
All members of our community, including teachers and students, will comply with the following measures:
- Health Declaration: All people will complete a health declaration upon entering campus.
- Mandatory Mask Use: All people on campus must wear masks at all times.
- Hand Washing & Disinfecting: All people will wash their hands or use hand sanitizer immediately upon entering a classroom and before leaving a classroom. Shared surfaces like desks, tables, and chairs will be sanitized before leaving a space.
- Social Distancing: All people will remain socially distanced while on campus.
- Social Gatherings: Group sizes will respect and not exceed the directives of DOET.
Additionally, we recommend that every student do a self-test on Sunday and remain home if the test is positive or if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat. By following these measures, each one of us is doing our part and helping to keep our community healthy.
Schedule for the Week (Dec 13-16)
Monday, December 13: Orientation for Grades 9 & 12 and HS Semester I Assessment Make-Up
To begin the week’s activities, we will welcome students of G9 and G12 onto campus for an orientation program. During this time, we will train our students about the 5K measures for health and safety, tour the high school portion of campus, and engage in COVID safe community-building activities.
Tuesday and Wednesday, December 14-15: Instructional Days
On these two days, students will reflect on their semester I performance and set goals for Semester II. Students of G9 and G12 may choose to attend their classes on campus or virtually. Whichever they choose, on campus or virtual, attendance is required for all students.
Thursday, December 16: Semester I Celebration Day
Every year, high school students look forward to this day in which we come together as a community to celebrate our accomplishments and enjoy one another’s company. The Student Council has designed a great program for the day for all students to enjoy, no matter if they are on campus or joining virtually.
Campus Entry and Exit
Students of G9 and G12 will enter the campus using Gate C. Before entering the campus, everyone must complete a Health Declaration. After submitting their Health Declaration, students will use their SSIS IDs to pass through the turnstile.
At the end of the day, students must exit campus at Gate C. We ask that all students leave the campus immediately to ensure proper social distancing for our students.
On Monday, for Orientation Day, the students will enter through the gate and then be escorted to the location where we will carry out our Orientation Day activities. After the program is finished, students will exit the campus at Gate C.
School Uniforms: Encouraged but Not Required for Dec 13-16
We understand that our students may have grown since they last wore their uniforms. For this reason, we encourage, but do not require, our students to wear their uniforms. SSIS has created an online ordering system to help our families and students prepare for this exciting time if they need to purchase new uniforms.
This is an exceptionally exciting time. I speak on behalf of the entire high school faculty when I say that we are so very happy to welcome students back on campus. We also recognize that not all of our students will be on campus next week and we are committed to continuing to provide a high-quality virtual learning program for our students to connect and engage in the learning from home.
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have about the reopening of campus to G9 and G12.
All my very best,
Jennifer Mendes
High School Principal
