如需閱讀中文版本,請點擊此連結。
Dear Parents,
First, thanks to all of you who wrote to express support and relief after my last email. We really are a community, and together we need to do all we can to keep our members as safe as possible. I write now to discuss next steps after our brief closure, which will take place until Thursday, February 6.
At the end of the week, you will receive a detailed communication from Mr. Larry Kraut and his Operations team about the physical steps we are taking to protect community members to the best of our ability. Safety and health are always our top priority, and the protocols we are putting in place are designed to do precisely that. I want to tell you now that there will be inconveniences and delays as we check the temperature of each person who enters TAS, and watch for symptoms associated with the deadly coronavirus. Thank you for your support, patience, and understanding.
In terms of the educational steps we will take to assure there is no learning gap for students after this short closure, you will hear from divisional principals AFTER they have met with our returning faculty. Please, do not expect to hear much during the three-day closure. Our educational leaders and faculty will work together to design developmentally appropriate activities to offset any possible loss from the three-day delay. Your children have diverse learning needs, and our classes have varying goals and topics. It will take a few days, once everyone is back, to determine exactly how students will be given the opportunity to catch up on anything that might have been missed because of the necessary closure. For example, students in IB or AP courses or any Upper School classes will need something very different from our Lower and Middle School learners. Principals will oversee the design and communication of the options for each division, and they will be tailored for different subjects, different learners, and different learning goals. Please, may I again ask for your patience as our educators develop the most appropriate activities that will best meet the needs of all learners. You will hear from principals as soon as they have that information to share with all of you.
Meanwhile, you should feel free to reach out to me on my Line@ (http://line.me/ti/p/%40huq1566i) or at my email address, hennessys@tas.tw. Do know that although many are in different parts of the world, your Board members, administrators, teachers and staff have been in regular contact in order to design the most effective educational plan within the safest possible setting.
I again send you warm wishes for our new Year of the Rat. As we remember that lives have been lost and many people are very ill because of this virus, I ask that you keep those afflicted in your thoughts and prayers and I look forward to working through this critical time with all of you.
Faithfully, Sharon D. Hennessy, Ed.D. Head of School Taipei American School 800 Zhongshan North Road, Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan ROC 11152 Phone: +886.2.7750.9900 Website: https://www.tas.edu.tw |