11 June 2020

Dear Eton Community,

As the 2019-2020 academic year comes to a close, I can safely declare this has been the most unusual school year for Eton School in its 40+ years of operation. It is certainly the most unusual year of my career. It is three months, to the day, since I sent a letter home ending in-person learning on campus. I hoped—at the time—that we would have a chance to resume in-person learning and once again have children playing, learning, and laughing on campus. While the pandemic ended up making that impossible, I have been overwhelmed by the sense of community that has persisted—and even grown stronger—over the course of the last three months. I have constantly felt that we were truly all in this together.

As you know, we are now preparing to reopen the campus for some summer camps and childcare starting June 22. We are closely following the recommendations and guidance of state and local health authorities. The COVID Taskforce is also anticipating further guidance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) regarding the 2020-2021 academic year and the resumption of school in September. Over the course of the summer, as we develop plans for the start of school, we will share them with you. The health and safety of all children and adults on campus is always our top priority.

Tomorrow is our last day of school for this year. It is also, however, a day for which Black Lives Matter (BLM) Seattle-King County has called for a silent march and general strike.

Typically, the last day of school is a chance for students and teachers to say goodbye to each other. Sometimes for the summer, sometimes for much longer, and sometimes forever. Therefore, I am not cancelling scheduled activities that teachers have planned.

Still, Friday is also important and the efforts we make to address systemic and institutionalized racism in the United States are crucial. I encourage you to find a way to participate and/or recognize Friday’s events through direct participation or through the other activities BLM plans to post online. You can learn more about the march and get additional details as they are released here.

Thank you for all the support you have given teachers and Eton School during remote instruction. Teachers have worked harder than ever in circumstances they never anticipated or trained for. I know they appreciate the words of encouragement they have received from you and your understanding of the challenges they have had to surmount.

I hope you and your family have a healthy, restful, and rejuvenating summer. We are counting the days until we are once again open for students to join us on campus and get back to playing and learning with their peers and our wonderful teachers.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

18 May 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I hope you and your family are doing as well as can be expected during this prolonged and unusual crisis. I am sure we have all experienced the full gamut of emotions while complying with the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order, and I know we are all eager to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

We have received several inquiries about summer and the resumption of school in September. I know that it is worrisome and frustrating to not have a clear idea of what will take place in September and to be unable to make plans based on whether school will be in-person or not. We are equally frustrated by the lack of clear guidelines as to what will be required of schools in September, what restrictions will be in place, and what will and will not be permitted. All that information will be decided by state and local officials and health authorities. Those offices are continually monitoring data, and we hope they will begin to make some definitive decisions and provide concrete proposals soon.

Until that information is available, we will continue to generate potential plans for both the summer and the fall based on different scenarios. I am sharing some of those plans with you now. Please remember, however, that these are preliminary ideas, and I am sure they will be adjusted and refined as we learn more.

We are currently planning to offer some childcare over the summer beginning June 22. We do not know exactly what that will look like, but all plans will be made with the safety of all children and adults on campus as our top priority. Our current planning includes the following assumptions:

• The number of children in each room and group will be smaller and limited to somewhere between 8 and 10. We will keep the children in the same group from day to day as much as possible.
• We will require pre-registration for children to attend childcare.
• We will create individual workspaces in each classroom and actively monitor and encourage social distancing.
• We will be conducting health screenings every day for children and adults who are entering the buildings. This includes a temperature check and screening questions (e.g., Have you had a new cough within the last 14 days?).
• We will have provisions in place at school in case a person on campus becomes ill or begins to feel sick. This includes an isolation area and a call for the person to be picked up as soon as possible.
• We will have a protocol in place if someone who has been on campus tests positive for COVID-19. This includes asking the members of that person’s group to quarantine for the recommended period and sanitizing and disinfecting all areas that the group used.

I am sure there will be other restrictions in place and additional parameters which will require further modification on our part, but that information is not yet available to us.

There is even greater uncertainty when making plans for the start of the 2020-2021 academic year. The State Board of Education, Governor Inslee’s office, and public health authorities are closely monitoring available data. They want to provide guidance to schools as early as possible so we can make plans for September. However, they want to delay as long as possible so that the guidance they provide is based on data that will still be relevant in September. While there is a lot about September that we do not know, we will—again—make safety our number one priority. These are some assumptions and “best-guesses” that are informing our planning:

• There is the possibility of restrictions on how many students can be in any single group. This may necessitate splitting up classes into two or more groups.
• There may be a mix of remote instruction, blended learning, and in-person learning. The last several weeks have demonstrated that older students are more capable at remote learning and reap greater benefits than our youngest students. There may be different approaches at different grade levels.
•  We may be forced to cancel our overnight trips that usually occur in the fall. There may be a possibility of rescheduling them, but we will not know until closer to September.
• If restrictions force us to make adjustments to the school day or the calendar, we will—if possible—survey parents to determine what course of action will work best for the greatest number of families.

We will have the Pre-elementary program open in September on campus unless it is strictly prohibited by the state and/or public health authorities.

The remote instruction in which we are currently engaged was thrust upon us unexpectedly. I am thrilled with how our teachers rose to the occasion and adapted to the circumstances while trying to learn “on the fly.” One advantage we will have in September is that the summer provides an opportunity for us to further refine our practice of remote instruction while not under the strain of trying to keep up with the day-to-day. This means that we will be better equipped to deliver an even better experience during any future closure (e.g., a closure during a second outbreak).

In my conversations with other school leaders it has been apparent that we are all unclear about what schools will look like in September. We also, however, acknowledge that we are in this together, and all schools will be affected by this crisis. Restrictions that apply to one school will likely apply to all schools.

As I noted above, this is a frustrating time for all of us. We would all like to have a crystal ball and be able to see what the future holds. In the absence of accurate fortune-telling, however, we are faced with scenario-planning that includes a multitude of “what-ifs.”

We will continue to strategize and develop contingencies for September to the best of our ability. As state and public health authorities provide more guidance, we will refine and resolve a more definitive plan of what school will look like in the 2020-2021 academic year. During the entire process, we are committed to communicating with you as much as we know as soon as we know it.

Please continue to stay healthy and safe. I do hope that you and your family are finding opportunities for joy and love during this extraordinary time.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD

Head of School

17 April 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I do hope you and your family are doing as well as can be expected at the present time. I continue to look for the good around us as we go through this crisis. I am grateful for the beautiful weather we are having, the longer days of sunlight, and the budding trees and blossoming flowers. Hopefully, you have the opportunity to step out into your own outside space and find a little respite.

I continue to monitor the guidance and the directives for schools coming from Governor Inslee’s office and from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. At the present time, there has still been no determination as to what summer programs or childcare may be permitted after June 19. There have also been no decisions made regarding what guidelines or restrictions might be in place when schools are allowed to reopen. When new information is available, I will communicate it as quickly as possible.

There are a few important topics to tell you about this week:

• We are changing the last day of school for this school year. Our remote instruction and the school year now ends on Friday, June 12.
   
• We are exploring alternative formats for some school events (including graduation); we will pass on information as soon as we have firm plans.
   
• With the campus closure happening so abruptly, we still have student medication at school. We are going to provide two opportunities next week for parents to pick up medication. These times are Monday, April 20 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and Friday, April 24 between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
  • If you come to campus to pick up medications on either of these dates, please come to the Main Building and call the main number (425-881-4230) from the parking lot. We will have a small table on the front porch of the Main Building, and someone will come out and place your medication on that table for you to retrieve.
  • If you would like to pick up medications but cannot come to campus on either of these dates, please contact Jackie Rauch to make arrangements.
  • If you would rather not pick up medications until after restrictions are lifted, please let Jackie Rauch know, and we will secure and store those medications for pick up on a future date.
     
• Instead of sending a stand-alone letter home each week, I will include any minor updates and news in the Community Connection. Of course, if there is any important news relating to schools reopening, childcare restrictions being lifted, or summer programs, we will send that information out promptly.

Once again, I want to thank families for your expressions of support and gratitude. I know that—at times—we all feel as if this crisis is affecting us personally in a devastating way. Sometimes we lose the perspective that this crisis is affecting all of us; it appears nobody is untouched. I am sure you—like so many of us—are actually working harder than you were before the crisis. It has meant so much to teachers and staff to receive emails recognizing the effort and hard work being put in to sustain learning during this extraordinary time. We will do all we can to continually refine and improve the delivery of remote instruction so that students and families remain supported.

Thank you for being a part of this amazing community.

Sincerely, 

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

8 April 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I am sure, by now, that you are aware of Governor Inslee’s proclamation extending the closure of in-person learning in public and private schools through the end of the current academic year. Although this decision was not entirely unexpected, it still came as a bit of a shock. The spring at Eton School is typically a time of community-building events and celebrations of learning. We will miss those opportunities for us to come together in person, and we now turn to the exploration of ways to honor some of those traditions and celebrate our community remotely.

While in-person learning may be suspended, school is still in session. We will, of course, continue to provide remote instruction through the end of the school year. With three weeks under our belt, the teachers and administration have been drawing on feedback from teachers, families, and students to refine and improve our practice of remote instruction and learning. We will continue to hone our skills to deliver the best possible instructional experience for all our students.

Once we return from Spring Break, the faculty and administration will be working to maximize the continuity of learning through the end of the school year. There is some cold comfort in knowing we do not need to speculate if and when we might return to in-person learning, and we can now begin to make plans to enable each student to finish the school year successfully through remote instruction.

I know this has been an unusual and trying time for everyone. Teachers are working hard to deliver instruction through a way in which most of them were never trained. Families are trying to create a home-based learning environment for their children while also working remotely and adapting to a new occupational environment themselves. Adding this to the ever-present stress of the public health crisis has challenged the coping skills of us all. Please take time to look after yourself and care for the others in your life. Even when there seems to be so much negative news, there is always good to be found in the world around us.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

3 April 2020 

Dear Eton Community,

It’s hard to believe that this was only the third week of remote instruction and learning. It seems as if it’s been much longer than that since we had the bustle of students on campus. I hope you and your family remain healthy and safe.

As I am sure you are aware, Governor Inslee has extended his Stay Home, Stay Healthy order through May 4. This means that we plan on a return to in-person learning on Tuesday, May 5. The Main Building also remains closed until that date. We are continuing to monitor telephone messages on the main number (425-881-4230) and pick up our mail at least weekly. We continue to monitor advice from public health authorities and state government, and we will notify families if there is any future change to the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order that affects Eton School.

As I noted last week, Spring Break begins this evening. The teachers have been working very hard over the last few weeks, and I know they could all use some time to rest and rejuvenate. Please remember that the school does not expect teachers to reply to work-related emails during Spring Break, and you may not hear from them until Monday, April 13.

While the topic of “social distancing” has been at the forefront over the past few weeks, I wanted to remind everyone that the more accurate term to use might be “physical distancing.” The guidelines are important, and it’s crucial that we limit our physical contact with other people to help “flatten the curve.” Strictly speaking, however, there is no limit on how social we can be with one another. Particularly with the technology available to us, we have the ability to connect with friends and family across the globe and socialize without ever leaving our home. It may not be ideal, but staying home as much as possible is better for the broader community. Interacting, socializing, and connecting with others is better for each of us as human beings.

Again, I hope you and your family remain healthy and safe. Please enjoy Spring Break, and we plan and hope to see everyone on May 5.

Sincerely, 

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

27 March 2020

 

Dear Eton Community,

I hope you and your family are staying safe and well during the Stay Home, Stay Healthy proclamation issued by Governor Inslee. Our second week of remote instruction has just ended, and we continue to refine our routines, resources, and methods. Please continue to communicate with teachers as your first point of contact regarding remote instruction and learning. Kris Gaskins and I are supporting teachers as needed.

Here are the status updates for this week:

• Governor Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy proclamation includes exceptions for “essential businesses.” The list of essential businesses is quite extensive, and it includes “Workers supporting public and private childcare establishments, licensed pre-K establishments, K-12 schools, colleges, and universities for purposes of distance learning. . . .” This means that we are still operating remote instruction, and teachers may choose whether or not they would like to do that from school or from home.
   
•  Because of Governor Inslee’s proclamation, the Main Building will not be open until at least April 7. We will be checking voicemail messages on the main number (425-881-4230) multiple times each weekday, and we will be picking up mail from the post office at least once a week.
   
• We continue to plan on a return to in-person learning on April 27. We will of course continue to monitor advice from public health authorities and state government, and we will notify families if there is any change.
   
• Next week will be the third week of remote instruction, and Spring Break will begin on Friday evening. Please remember that Spring Break will be a break from instruction. The school does not expect teachers to engage in remote instruction or respond to work-related emails between April 4 and April 12. Please respect this time for faculty to spend time with their families and to get some well-deserved rest.

Thank you for your messages of support and gratitude. Some have also asked how our hourly employees are faring. We made the decision—at the beginning of this crisis—that we would continue to pay all hourly employees their regular wage for their regularly scheduled hours throughout the closure of the campus. We have not had to lay off any employees, and we do not anticipate doing so as a result of the public health crisis.

This new and unexpected paradigm of education for Eton School has created a wonderful opportunity for all of us to embrace the concept of life-long learning in a very real way. I am so grateful to work with a collection of such dedicated professionals who have adapted and implemented remote instruction and learning so quickly and so effectively.

Please look after yourselves and each other.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

20 March 2020

 

Dear Eton Community,

I hope that your family remains healthy and safe during this unusual and unprecedented public health crisis. I feel as if I am experiencing a bit of a paradox; the campus is eerily quiet and feels abandoned at times, yet I have never felt such a strong sense of community and togetherness. I am reminded of the motto coined by Alexandre Dumas, “All for one, one for all.”

Thank you to everyone who has sent expressions of gratitude and support for our teachers; they are doing an amazing job of adapting to a new paradigm of instruction and learning, which was thrust upon them with very little time to prepare. They have truly risen to the occasion, and there is a genuine commitment on their part to do all they can to ensure as much continuity of learning as possible for our students.

Alice McNeer, our Director of Communications and Marketing, is creating a new page on our website to highlight some of the amazing activities taking place at different grade levels that keep students engaged in learning. Some of those highlights and a link for that page will be included in the Community Connection this Sunday.

My plan is to communicate with families at least weekly and give updates on our current status and plans. If more frequent communication from me is warranted, I will—of course—adjust as necessary. Here are our current status updates:

• We continue to plan for the campus to reopen for in-person learning on April 27. We will, of course, continue to monitor advice from public health authorities and state government, and we will notify families if there is any change.
• Please remember that we will not have any Clubhouse until the campus reopens for in-person learning (this includes the week of Spring Break, April 6-10).
• The office in the Main Building is open Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

I am so impressed by how we have come together over this crisis, and I am particularly grateful for the dedication and compassion of all my colleagues here at school. Everyone among our faculty and staff has committed themselves to minimize the disruption of this period as much as possible.

Please stay healthy and safe.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

13 March 2020

Dear Eton Community,

The campus is a very different place without children here. It is quiet, and I miss the activity on the playground outside my window. Despite the absence of students, the campus has been a very busy hub of activity since Wednesday. Faculty and staff have been hard at work making the necessary plans and adjustments to transition to remote instruction. There are more details for each grade level later in this communication.

As I am sure you know by now, Governor Inslee has issued an executive order mandating that public and private schools throughout Washington State close through April 24. This means that Eton School will not reopen before April 27 at the earliest. Unfortunately, this also requires us to cancel additional events:

• There will be no Clubhouse until the Eton School campus reopens for in-person instruction.
• The 7th and 8th Grade Performance scheduled for April 23 is canceled.

As before, it is possible that some canceled events may be rescheduled, but please regard them as canceled unless/until we issue firm plans for a new date.

Instruction and Learning Opportunities

Our teachers are working hard to transform a diverse, project/material-based, hands-on, and individualistic approach in educating students into an online learning platform. This comes with challenges, yet we are committed to finding meaningful ways to serve all our learners.

Beginning March 16, teachers will reach out to share learning resources that can be used during the school closure as well as general expectations for student engagement, and a suggested daily schedule for the school week.

There are different ways of learning at the different levels due to the age of the students and the process of delivering instruction. Time will be needed to adjust to remote learning for everyone, and we anticipate it will continue to become more refined and enhanced as both students and teachers grow and learn. Please note, the classroom teacher is your point of contact for the day to day of remote instruction. If additional support is needed, please contact Kris Gaskins.

Pre-elementary and Lower Elementary
Resource tab on the Eton School website class pages, personal email, and Seesaw.

Upper Elementary
Microsoft Teams, Resource tab and Calendar on the Eton School website class pages, Seesaw, Flipgrid, among other educational online platforms. Please let the teacher know if your child needs to borrow a laptop from school for remote instruction. Please reach out to teachers if you need technical support to get Microsoft Teams set up on a home device

Middle School
Microsoft Teams, Resource tab and Calendar on the Eton School website class pages, and teachers will be using various apps specific to individual classes imbedded within the Teams structure. Please reach out to teachers if you need technical support to get Microsoft Teams set up on a home device

Spring Break will still be a break from instruction. The school does not expect teachers to engage in remote instruction or respond to work-related emails between April 4 and April 12. Please respect this time for faculty to spend time with their families and to get some well-deserved rest.

As I stated earlier, we are committed to engaging students in meaningful learning. It is a challenging time for all of us, and our goal is to help create normalcy for our students.

In an earlier communication, I addressed the sense of community which makes Eton such a special school. In that spirit, I would like to encourage all of you to reach out and support one another. Some families may have first responders or healthcare workers and need help for childcare. Some families may be understandably worried because they have elderly family members who live in the home. Others may be feeling isolated and yearning for someone with whom to talk. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone in the community to be there for each other. Reach out and offer what you feel comfortable offering of yourself and your family. We are fortunate to have technology available that allows widespread and meaningful connectivity despite geographic separation; let’s use it.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

11 March 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I am indescribably grateful for the support, patience, and thoughtfulness that we have received from every corner of our Eton School community during this public health crisis. It reminds me how lucky I am to be a part of this community.

As I have relayed to you in earlier communications, this is a rapidly evolving situation, and new factors came into play today:

• I am sure many of you watched the press conference held by Governor Inslee this morning. He has ordered the prohibition of gatherings of more than 250 people in King County, and Public Health – Seattle & King County has prohibited gatherings of fewer than 250 people unless measures are taken by event organizers to minimize risks.
•  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued guidance for schools in King County to implement distance learning if feasible.
• Both the Seattle Public School District and Lake Washington School District have announced they will be closed starting tomorrow. SPS will be closed until at least March 27, and LWSD will be closed until at least March 30.
• Bellevue School District will close beginning Friday, March 13 and will remain closed at least through March 30.

There have been no reported cases or reported exposure to COVID-19 in the Eton School community. However, due to these new considerations, we have made the difficult decision to close the Eton School campus effective today at 6:00 p.m. and move to remote instruction for all students. We do not have a firm date to reopen the campus, but we will not return to “in-person” learning on campus earlier than April13. I am sure that the guidance and recommendations from public health authorities will play an important role in determining when we reopen. There have been no reported cases or reported exposure to COVID-19 in the Eton School community.
 
Per my earlier communications, teachers will use the next two days to finalize plans for remote instruction. Please plan on remote instruction beginning on Monday, March 16. Before the weekend, you will receive another email from Kris Gaskins and me giving more details about what remote instruction will look like. Please defer any questions about remote instruction until you have received that communication.

Because the campus will be closed for the immediate future, we are forced to cancel the following events:

• Founder’s Day (March 20)
• EPC Learning Event (March 25)
• Ice Skating (March 27)
• First Friday Coffee (April 3)
• The Cosmic Fair (April 3)

As before, it is possible that some canceled events may be rescheduled, but please regard them as canceled unless/until we issue firm plans for a new date.

We will continue to plan on offering Clubhouse over Spring Break (the week of April 6), and we will let you know if we must cancel it.

The Community Connection will be sent out each Sunday during remote instruction in an effort to keep families connected with what is going on in the Eton community and to share some highlights from remote instruction.

The decision to close the campus is not one I took lightly. I also understand that this decision will affect families in different – and sometimes – inequitable ways. It is, however, the only decision when considering the safety and wellness of students, staff, and families.

Thank you again for your support and your kindness during this rapidly evolving crisis.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

9 March 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I hope you and your family were able to enjoy some of the nice weather we have been lucky enough to have. With the change to Daylight Savings Time, it will be nice to have a little more daylight in the evenings after school.

We continue to be committed to keeping you informed of recommendations from public health officials and our plans as we move forward through this public health crisis. We are thankful for the messages of support and feedback that many families have sent. This is uncharted territory in so many ways, and there is bound to be a difference of opinion on how we should chart the course for Eton. The advice and recommendations of public health officials (particularly local and state agencies) remain the most important resource for us in our decision-making process with the safety and wellness of our community remain our top priority.

There have been no reported cases or reported exposure to COVID-19 in the Eton School community. Public Health – Seattle & King County does not recommend schools close, and Bellevue and Lake Washington School Districts remain open. Some schools belonging to the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) have closed, however, many remain open.

The Washington State Department of Health continues to recommend that individuals with fever, cough, or shortness of breath stay home. They also recommend that they stay home and away from others until 72 hours after the fever is gone and symptoms are better.

At this time, we do not plan to close Eton School unless new information or protocols indicate that a closure is the best course of action. We do, however, also support faculty, staff, and families in making their own decisions that reflect their own health needs and personal level of comfort. All student absences during this public health crisis are excused and not recorded on the students record.

Teachers are actively planning what remote learning will look like and how it will vary for students at the different levels in the event of a long-term school closure. We will keep all families updated as we firm up plans.

Thank you for your continued support, communication, and partnership.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

5 March 2020

Dear Eton Community,

Thank you for your continued support as we make every effort to make a calm and measured response to the current health crisis in our area. The safety of our students, staff, and families continues to our top priority, and we—as a team—are closely monitoring the situation on campus and locally while also paying strict attention to the communications and recommendations from local, state, and national health authorities.

I wanted to write to you today to update you on our plans and share information.

Some of you have asked for details regarding the “deep cleaning.”

Our night-time cleaning service is using TruShot by SC Johnson, a disinfectant cleaner for hospitals. It is both anti-bacterial and a virucide. They are cleaning high-touch areas and surfaces nightly throughout the entire campus. They are conducting a deeper cleaning in as many rooms as possible each night, and this means that all rooms are getting a deep cleaning every second or third night.

Our teachers are doing their best to prepare for a potential school closing.

If we do end up closing the school campus, we will do our best to implement remote instruction for as many grade levels as possible. Teachers are in the planning stages to provide continuity of learning. This is, of course, more difficult in the Montessori classrooms, and it is impossible to replicate the Montessori environment at home.

Please note that remote instruction for a school that encompasses Pre-K to 8th grade will be very different from what is offered in a middle-high school.

If the decision is made to close Eton, we will likely need two to three days to give our faculty time to plan and generate materials, and for us, as a school, to provide more logistical details for families. Remote instruction could look very different at the various grade levels. Upper Elementary and Middle School faculty/students will be better equipped to jump right in. Teachers at the Montessori levels will do their best to provide activities and Lower Elementary students will have academic work to complete at home. I have also asked Ms. Louthan to generate some lists of books for different age groups for enrichment and engagement while children are “stuck” at home.

Teachers, however, cannot operate in both school and online mode simultaneously. Unless we do close, we will continue to support absent students on an individual basis as we always have. Teachers will post or share assignments for absent students, but we cannot offer all families the choice of attending in person or having an online learning experience as if we were closed.

We do not have immediate plans to close school.

As I have affirmed in the past week, we will stay abreast of information and recommendations made by local, state, and national health authorities. The decision of whether or not to close the school is not one I take lightly. I encourage you to stay up-to-date with the information and recommendations from these same authorities. Public Health—Seattle & King County issues a daily bulletin; here is today’s.

Please note their specific recommendations for schools:

Public Health is not currently recommending that schools proactively close unless they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff member or student.

This guidance may have been confusing for some families and schools because schools bring together large groups of children. School closures have significant negative impacts on our community. We will be providing additional information to schools about how to stay open safely. The considerations we have taken in our decision not to currently recommend routine closure at schools include:

• Children are not known to get seriously ill from COVID-19
• Closing schools may not be effective because some children may congregate anyway, at other locations
• Many parents, such as healthcare workers, need to be at work. If these critical workers stay home with children it causes significant impacts on the healthcare system and other institutions that are essential for our community to function
• If schools close, some children might have to stay home with alternative caregivers, such as elders, who are more vulnerable
• We don't know how effective children are in spreading this disease

Some children and staff may be at higher risk for severe illness because of underlying health conditions or a weakened immune system. Public Health advises that those people consult with their healthcare provider to decide the best course of action.

Public Health also respects each individual school's decisions about closures, postponement of activities, or other social distancing measures—as each school knows the needs of their community best.

Public Health is continually assessing our decision not to require the widespread closure of schools. We are continually evaluating information as it becomes available to better inform our decisions about proactive schools closure.

We are canceling or postponing some community events.

While Public Health is not recommending school closures, they are recommending, “If you can feasibly avoid bringing large groups of people together, consider postponing events and gatherings.”

We are, therefore, canceling the following events:

• Friday Coffee tomorrow (March 6).
• March Classroom Field Trips
• We are also canceling the 4-6 grade musical scheduled for next Thursday (March 12) at Redmond High School.

We will promptly communicate any information regarding other events after a decision is made.

It is possible that some canceled events may be rescheduled, but please regard them as canceled unless/until we issue firm plans for a new date.

In closing, I know this is a stressful time for everyone. There is a lot of uncertainty as to what the next day, week, or month will look like. I believe, for that reason, that it is vital that we all support one another and show compassion and empathy for those impacted by the current situation. One aspect of Eton School that drew me here and makes me feel lucky (every day) to be in my current position is the sense of community that permeates our school. I have always felt as if all of us cares for every one of us.

Thank you to those of you who have shared your support and thoughts with me this week.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

2 March 2020

Dear Eton Community,

As I relayed in my communication last week, we are closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation regarding the current health crisis. Over the weekend, news of the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) became more concerning, and, on Saturday, Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in response to new cases of COVID-19, directing state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to the outbreak.

I am writing today to share additional information about how we are approaching the crisis at school and to share resources with you. At the moment, we have no indication of direct exposure to the Eton community. We are making every effort to ensure our response to this outbreak is not alarmist but measured, responsive, and proactive. The safety of students and staff is our top priority; please be assured that all decisions are made with this in mind.

Common sense practices are still our best defense. It is crucial that everyone follow the Washington State Department of Health’s recommended preventative measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
• Stay at home and away from others if you are feeling ill.

There are important resources for information about COVID-19 and ways to prepare for a more widespread outbreak. Here are three:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Washington State Department of Health
• Public Health—Seattle & King County

Additional steps we are taking on campus:

• We conducted a deep cleaning of the campus over Midwinter Break. We are currently planning an additional deep cleaning this week (while school is not in session).
• Faculty and staff are conducting additional cleaning of shared surfaces and common touchpoints throughout campus throughout the school day.
• All faculty and staff are required to adhere to proper handwashing and sanitizing protocols upon entering the school building and throughout the day.
• All teachers are reviewing handwashing and sanitizing protocols with students and requiring handwashing upon entering the building.
• All visitors are required to wash their hands and/or use sanitizer upon entering the building.

Please keep your child home from school if they are ill.

• Students must remain home if experiencing any of the following: a fever, cough, sneezing, cold or flu-like symptoms or any respiratory symptoms. Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
• We will send home any students who are experiencing any of the following: a fever, cough, sneezing, cold or flu-like symptoms or any respiratory symptoms.
• All absences during this crisis will be excused absences.
• Faculty and staff who experience these symptoms will remain home.

Eton School will close only if it is deemed necessary by the situation.

• Eton monitors what other school districts (particularly Lake Washington and Bellevue) and other independent schools are doing. While we make decisions independently of those other entities, we will take into consideration what they are doing as well as guidance from other agencies, such as the Washington State Department of Health and Public Health – Seattle & King County.
• If a case of COVID-19 is identified in the Eton community, we will work with local health officials to determine the appropriate course of action. It is possible that, to ensure we are keeping everyone safe, we would close even if health officials decide it is not necessary. If a school closure is necessary, Eton would reopen only when we are confident it is safe for students, staff, and families.
• We will use School Messenger to communicate with families regarding any school closure or to share any critical information.
• Public Health—Seattle & King County has advice for parents on preparing for a school closure:
  • Plan alternative childcare arrangements for children in case school is dismissed early and/or closed.
  • Talk to friends, neighbors, and other parents in school about sharing childcare duties if your children are well, but school is closed.
  • Talk to your employer about working from home or shifting schedules in the event of a school closure.

Viruses don’t discriminate, and neither should we.

• Stigma will not fight coronavirus. Sharing accurate information will.
• Coronavirus does not recognize race, ethnicity, or nationality. 2019 novel coronavirus started in Wuhan, China. That's just geography. Having Chinese ancestry—or any other ancestry—does not make a person more vulnerable to this illness.
• Wearing a mask does not mean a person is ill. People wear masks for a variety of reasons, including to avoid pollen and air pollution and for cultural and social reasons. We should not judge someone for wearing a mask or assume they are sick.
   

We know that this is a fast-changing situation, and there seem to be a lot more questions than answers. We do, however, appreciate your understanding as we chart a course through this crisis in an effort to keep our entire community, students, staff, and families, safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

27 February 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I am sure that many of our families are closely watching the evolving situation surrounding the spread of the new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19). Currently, different areas around the globe are experiencing an outbreak. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that the potential public health threat posed by COVID-19 is high, the CDC also asserts that the immediate health risk to the American public is low. The Washington State Department of Health agrees and states, “While the current situation poses a public health threat, we have no evidence the virus is spreading in Washington so the risk to the general public is low.”

While it is reassuring that the immediate threat from COVID-19 is low, we are also committed to doing our best to prevent the spread of any illness within the Eton School community. We are closely monitoring the latest news from the CDC and the Washington State Department of Health. The Washington State Department of Health emphasizes the importance of school staff and students following the standard recommended precautions to prevent the spread of viral respiratory infections (including the flu, the common cold, and COVID-19). These include:

• Staying home when sick.
• Frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after nose blowing. Help young children do the same. If hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water to clean hands.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. (We do not typically supply hand sanitizer in classrooms because we emphasize hand washing which is proven to be a better preventive measure.)
• Advising everyone to avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Following the school's routine cleaning and disinfection program. Emphasizing to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Covering coughs or sneezes with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash and cleaning hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer (if soap and water are not readily available).

 

We are developing contingency plans for the unlikely event of a school closure. These plans involve the facility (e.g. disinfection and deep cleaning), continuity of student learning (designing ways in which students can stay engaged with schoolwork and activities while at home), and maintaining school business operations (payroll, paying our bills, etc.). The exact nature and content of these plans will, of course, be dependent on the length and timing of any potential school closure. In the event of a school closure detailed information will be sent to you.

 

Both the CDC and the Washington State Department of Health have established web pages specific to COVID-19 with regular updates. The Washington State Department of Health has also set up a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

We will keep the community updated with any additional important information we receive.

Sincerely,

Russell Smith, PhD
Head of School

29 January 2020

Dear Eton Community,

The coronavirus is very much on all our minds. We have recently been notified that several of our families with children in multiple classes are traveling from China within the next couple of days. Our intent is not to be reactionary, yet, it is important for us to do what is best for our community of families which includes some who are immunocompromised.

Eton School is asking any family traveling back from China to keep their child(ren) home and stay off campus through the duration of the incubation period of up to two weeks. The concern is that any person who has the virus is contagious throughout the incubation period even though there may not be any symptoms.

Thank you for your understanding and support regarding this health and safety matter.

Sincerely,

Kris Meyer Gaskins
Assistant Head of School

24 January 2020

Dear Eton Community,

I am certain that most of you are already aware that a new strain of human coronavirus has been identified that is causing concern. The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originated in Wuhan City in China and is of particular concern because it appears to spread from human to human quite easily and can cause pneumonia.

On Tuesday, January 21, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Washington State Department of Health announced the first case of 2019-nCoV in the United States. The patient is from Washington and recently returned to the U.S. from Wuhan City.

At present, this is the only case of 2019-nCoV identified in the United States. The CDC and the Washington State Department of Health are, obviously, closely monitoring the situation here, across the state, and around the world. The Washington State Department of Health offers the following advice regarding protection:

There are currently no vaccines available to protect you against human coronavirus infection. You may be able to reduce your risk of infection by doing the following:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay home while you are sick
• Avoid close contact with others
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces 

Both the CDC and the Washington State Department of Health have established web pages specific to 2019-nCoV with regular updates. The Washington State Department of Health has also set up a call center to address questions from the public. If you have questions about what is happening in Washington state, how the virus is spread, and what to do if you have symptoms, call 1-800-525-0127 and press #.

For the health of everyone, Eton School’s Health and Safety policy requires students who are ill to be kept at home (see Parent/Guardian Handbook).

We will, of course, send out any additional important information we receive

Sincerely, 

Russell Smith, PhD