Dear Dunecrest Families,
I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well and enjoying a well-deserved summer holiday. As many of you know, on July 5th the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) officially published the Protocols for the Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai. This comes on the back of many weeks of conversations with the KHDA and thus it reaffirmed our expectations and plans for re-opening.
We are very excited to be fully able and prepared to have all of our students on campus 100% of the time and still meet the guidelines and safety protocols set forth by the federal and local government authorities for the 2020-2021 school year. This letter outlines some of the key operational and procedural changes you can anticipate at Dunecrest American School in the 2020-2021 school year, and we will keep you apprised of any changes or developments throughout the summer.
Tomorrow, I will supplement this detailed letter with a video address discussing the Life in September 2020. If you have questions around this letter or my video, please contact me directly or email: marketing@dunecrest.ae by Thursday, July 23. We will collate these questions and send a video response to all families the following Sunday.
Before I begin on our vision for 2020-2021, Dunecrest American School would like to thank our students for their resilience and adaptability; our families for their support, patience, and understanding; and our staff for their courage, professionalism, and dedication. The 2020-21 school year will be an especially challenging one for all of us, but we are the Dunecrest Eagles and we can overcome these challenges together.
We are committed to making the new school year a success for our students and their families
At Dunecrest American School we believe strongly that a regular school environment is best for teaching, learning, mental health and well-being. Distance learning is a necessary medium only when health and safety conditions leave no other option. Dunecrest is highly motivated to open our campus to provide students with opportunities to learn in face-to-face environments whenever it is safe to do so. If conditions demand that we close our campus, we will continue to support students with our highly regarded distance learning program.
The Reopening in August Plan has been developed through research into curbing the spread of infectious diseases (e.g. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dubai Health Authority, World Health Organization), through the guidance provided by the Ministry of Education and Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the Protocols for Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai and through lessons learned and good practice from other existing and similar schools worldwide, including those within our own family of Esol Education schools who have already returned to campus.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents the most serious public health crisis the world has experienced in generations. Looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year and beyond, Dunecrest American School is dedicated to reopening our campus the safest way possible because we believe doing so is in the best interest of our students. Due to the fact that a vaccine may not be available for months, Dunecrest American School must be able to respond quickly to challenges in our school community as well as to the conditions in Dubai. As we plan to reopen our campus in August, we understand we must do so with the health and safety of our students, staff and families in the forefront. The health and safety of our students, staff, and families, will always be the most important aspect of decision making. The importance of mitigating risk through precautions involving social responsibilities, preventative hygiene, facility cleaning and physical distancing will be the cornerstone of our planning.
Normal school operation will not be possible, nor should it be possible in a pandemic for the foreseeable future. Safety and wellbeing must take a priority for all of us, but we hope to provide positive school and learning experiences within a challenging new context.
High Level Description of the Protocols Provided by KHDA on July 5 for re-opening schools
On July 5 the Knowledge and Human Development Authority issued a 118-point document on the Protocols for Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai. The document is organized in 17 key categories. Topics include arrival and departures, hygiene and physical distancing, educational provisions, food and beverage distribution and transportation.
KHDA requires each school to submit a written plan that adheres to these guidelines which is then either approved or approved with amendments. Throughout the pandemic we have been in regular contact with the Dubai Health Authority, Ministry of Education and KHDA. More recently we have had extensive conversations with KHDA regarding our plan and have had verbal indications that they are very comfortable with our intended operating procedures.
The Dunecrest Ethos and our intention to honor it during the next school year
At Dunecrest American School we provide a holistic American international education that inspires students to discover their talents, pursue their passions and make a positive impact on their communities and the world beyond. We want students to be the best version of themselves by raising their individual and collective achievement, every day, every way. As we navigate this unprecedented period, we remain as committed as ever to our mission and ethos.
The interaction between student and teacher is the heart of our school. All that we do must stem from enhancing that relationship. Our mission is to challenge the minds, excite the imaginations, and train the bodies of the students in our care. We guide our students to make healthy choices and to have respect for their own minds and bodies. We lead them to distinguish right from wrong, and to choose to do what is right so they can develop into responsible and courageous citizens. At Dunecrest American School, exacting inquiry and thoughtful conversations foster the life of the mind, instruction and actively promote fitness and health, and the daily interactions of faculty and students build integrity and nurture empathy, and kindness. Despite these very challenging circumstances of COVID-19, this is an incredible opportunity to live our beliefs and teach by example.
The purpose of this message today is to give our Dunecrest Families visibility into the key elements of this plan so that you are assured that we have put your child's health, safety and mental well-being at the forefront of our strategy and that we are well-equipped to navigate the challenges of schooling in August.
Key Procedural Matters
It is our goal that every student, staff member and family member feel both emotional and physical safety at Dunecrest American School. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this means members of our community can reasonably expect a heightened level of concern for their health and wellbeing. While it is possible that students, staff members and family members may be exposed to COVID-19 in the course of their work or studies, we plan to take every reasonable precaution to prevent this from happening. Our goal and commitment to this goal means that all members of our school community must value, and care for others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this means complying with rules and policies designed to keep our school community safe and healthy. This means thinking of others, appreciating that their risk tolerance might be lower than ours, and adjusting our behavior with sensitivity and respect. This means respecting policies and expectations, even when inconvenient to ourselves. COVID-19 has disrupted life as we know it. To do our part to defeat this unprecedented public health challenge, mutual respect, trust, and a deep sense of our obligations to one another will be essential. This means:
The Dunecrest back to campus model promotes a normal face-to-face learning environment on campus. This is a traditional school experience with students attending school in person Sunday to Thursday. Preventative hygiene policies will be implemented in combination with realistic physical distancing guidelines to keep everyone safe. As we navigate the uncertainties associated with COVID-19, Dunecrest will adjust how we respond to external health conditions and risks. Epidemiologists predict infection rates will rebound with a second and third wave in the next 12-18 months. Until a vaccine is developed, external conditions and risk will continue to fluctuate. To bring students and staff back to campus safely we will implement new policies and procedures such as:
Key Safety and Hygiene Matters
Infectious disease experts have promoted physical distancing as an essential strategy in the containment of COVID-19. The world has learned that COVID-19 is menacing and highly contagious. It poses a risk not only to students, but to the adults in their lives, including parents, teachers, grandparents, coaches, and many others. The best safety plans must be clear, flexible, and sustainable. They must also be easily communicated and understood by all school stakeholder groups. In addition, incorporating our mission and pillars into the new "normal school day" remains vital as we reengage into life coming to school every day.
A Final Word
Our back to school plan will only be successful if it is communicated with clear expectations that are sustainable, and flexible to changing realities. The first step is targeting communication to the Dunecrest students on how to protect ourselves and others by informing them what guidelines must be followed. In addition to existing communications channels, we will implement environmental messaging signage, particularly in regard to key areas such as the main access points to campus, buses, dining hall, bathrooms and common areas on campus. Further multimedia messaging strategies will be deployed schoolwide.
As our plan is finalized from KHDA, more detailed instruction and training will be implemented throughout the school community, prior to and at the start of our campus reopening. We will train our cleaning staff on new measures of reducing and eliminating germs, our bus monitors on protective measures specific to their roles, our teachers and staff on sanitizing classroom space and shared objects, our students on maintaining distance and upholding personal health hygiene, and our parents on screening their children every morning. All stakeholders will have a role to play, and training as well as over communicating will be an integral part of reopening the school.
In conclusion, we need all members of our community to accept new responsibilities within this changed environment we will all experience over the next year. Acting with self-awareness and sensitivity to others will be key. We must learn to recognize that changes must be embraced and supported with enthusiasm. When your child expresses frustration with rules that limit their social interactions, express your understanding, but discourage their cynicism and remind them why the measures are in place to keep everyone safe. When your child has a cough or fever and complains of not feeling well, please keep them home until they are asymptomatic. If your workplace has a particularly innovative way to address safety, please share it with us. A collective and unified school community effort has never been more important as it is today. We are the Dunecrest Eagles and we will soar to new ideas. We will find a positive way to reopen school and continue our journey of educational excellence.
Make it a great day or fantastic day, the choice is yours at Dunecrest American School we are about raising student achievement every day, every way.
Educationally Yours, Bill Delbrugge Director
Dunecrest American School Dubai, UAE +971 4 508 7444 | info@dunecrest.ae
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