October 22, 2021
Hello, TNS Community.
Our 50th Anniversary Celebration turned out to be what so many of us needed - a wonderful opportunity to gather with old friends, meet new friends, see our children enjoy time together on our beautiful campus, and watch student performances for the first time in a long time! Thank you to all who joined us. This event helped kick off The New School Annual Fund Campaign. Please #SayYes and make a gift to The Annual Fund to help us keep the momentum going forward for our students. A gift of any size matters!
Thank you to so many who completed the surveys about mask requirements. Results and details are shared below. The bottom line is that we are holding steady with masks in K-12 for now, and while we are not reinstating the mask requirement in ECE, we do strongly recommend masks for at least the children in 3’s and PreK classrooms.
We acknowledge the effect that masks can have on the social-emotional development of children and are eager to get to the point where we no longer need them indoors. We will continue to remind students that they can take masks off while outdoors. At the latest, we will reevaluate this again for the second semester, with the hope that vaccines will be available to 5-11 year olds and we can relax this requirement.
There are some upcoming events and activities, where we would like to invite parent volunteer support. I know that many of you are eager to spend some time in school, and hopefully we can provide some fun opportunities to bring more parents into our classrooms. We do need to do this with safety in mind, of course. Volunteers will need to check in at the front desk of the administration building, where we will scan licenses and verify proof of COVID vaccination. Scanning licenses through our check-in system ensures that we are in compliance with state requirements for screening. Please watch for volunteer opportunities, which may come from division heads or Parent Association representatives!
Finally, I remind you that the second presentation in the ISACS Parent Series (The Family Firm: Data and Decisions) is this Tuesday 10/26! Detailed information is linked below. Have a wonderful weekend!
Warm regards,
Nancy
COVID-19 By the Numbers
Positive Cases since 8.12.21
- Students: 1 Active; 6 Total
- Adults: 0 Active; 3 Total
*Quarantine
- Students: 0 current
- Adults: 0 current
* These are due to close contact (CC) inside or outside of TNS, awaiting test results, family members within TNS, or an abundance of caution by a family.
Mask Requirements by Division - Survey Results
ECE: Masks strongly recommended for children in 3’s and PreK classes.
Should we reinstate the mask requirement?
Faculty/Staff: 82.4% No; 5.9% Yes
Parents: 48.% No; 36.7% Yes
Note: If you do send your child in with a mask, please be clear with teachers about your hopes and expectations. Teachers cannot make guarantees, but they will certainly do their best to honor your wishes.
K-6: Masks required of all individuals indoors
When should we relax the mask requirement?
Faculty/Staff: 31.8% Now; 68.2% When vaccines are available or later
Parents: 29.5% Now; 72.7% When vaccines are available or later
7-12: Masks required of all individuals indoors
When should we relax the mask requirement?
Faculty/Staff: 33.3% Now; 13.3% When we meet the 70% criteria; 53.3% Later
Students: 42.9% Now; 14.3% When we meet the 70% criteria; 38.1% Later
Parents: 39% Now; 34.1% When we meet the 70% criteria; 19.5% Later
Note: There are enough upper school faculty and students who are uncomfortable relaxing the requirement now that we will hold steady even though we have now been approved as a school meeting the 70% criteria. At the latest, we will reevaluate this again for the second semester.
ISACS Parent Series
We have registered our school for the ISACS Parent Series, which means that all four of these sessions, led by experts in their field, are free to you! Each is one hour long (6:30-7:30PM CT), and if you register, you will have access to the recording. Please click here for more information about each session and here to register. Register today for all four!
September 28: What Learning About Racial Inequality Can Teach Us All
October 26: The Family Firm: Data & Decisions (K-8)
Emily Oster, Brown University
November 9: Why Your Child’s Social, Emotional & Academic Well-being Begins at
Home
December 7: Electronic Cigarettes & Vaping: What Parents Should Know
Important Reminders
- If anyone in your family is testing for COVID due to symptoms, please keep all members of the family home (at least) until test results are in.
- If anyone in your family has symptoms, is testing, has been identified as a close contact, or has tested positive for COVID, please contact Nurse Sarah, by email or phone (479-368-2779). We want to understand each situation and advise or refer accordingly.
Calendar - Upcoming Dates to Remember!
Note that the 2021-22 and Tentative 2022-23 Calendars are available on our website.
October 25-29: Red Ribbon Week
October 26: Parent Series #2
October 26: K-12 Class Pictures
October 27: ECE Class Pictures
November 10: Flu Clinic