DOS Letter to HIS Families Feb 27
Dear HIS Families,
As you may know, the number of new cases of COVID-19 in China has dropped considerably over the past two weeks. China is no longer the country registering the most daily new cases, and Zhejiang and Hangzhou have had no new cases over the past few days. Unfortunately, new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in many countries and outbreaks have occurred in Korea, Italy and Iran. While the information from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that this strain may very likely become part of the global community-based seasonal flus that pose the most threat to the elderly and unhealthy, there is still international support to continue all efforts to contain this virus wherever it occurs. This is particularly important as it means stricter quarantines for those returning from outside China are likely to occur. Yesterday, we met with the Hangzhou Education Bureau (HEB) to discuss re-opening parameters and further collaboration to support ongoing E-learning and communications during the period of campus closure. The HEB advised us that they will give us at least 14-days notice before a re-opening date is allowed. Therefore:
HIS is closed from February 03 until further notice
under the force majeure direction of the government
As March 09 does not fall within this 14-day advance window, the school campus will be closed through at least March 15. We are now advising against making travel plans in advance to countries that may become affected by this outbreak. As such, we will be looking at how we can best serve families who return to China within the 14-day announcement notice in preparation for the re-opening of the school. The administration firmly believes a break will be needed and much deserved for faculty, students and parents, but we will be looking to shift this break to within the 14-day period once a re-opening date is announced. We will provide further information to you in this regard by next week.
HIS takes its commitment very seriously to provide families in Hangzhou with access to an excellent international education, even during such extraordinary times. As mentioned before, we have been in close communication with the IB authorization organization and WASC accrediting body. They have also been doing their best to support the growing needs of international schools during this outbreak. It is important to recognize that our E-learning platform meets their standards for accreditation, which will be accepted by future schools and universities.
Finally, I wanted to make sure to emphasize that parents please let us know if you or your child are experiencing any challenges with E-learning or the situation itself. This could be for a wide range for academic, social-emotional, family-related, or other concerns, and we can better direct our support for these needs. We have reinforced each grade level with at least one Mandarin and one English-speaking support person, and our Student Support Services team is ready to support those experiencing difficulty. As well, they can provide guidance for parents as to how to be supportive with the E-learning while still providing their children with a healthy lifestyle during this extraordinary time. Principals will be sharing basic daily schedules for the students and points of contact for additional support. Of course, Principals and I are also available for any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support, patience and understanding.
Warm Regards,
Jeffry R. Stubbs
Director
亲爱的HIS大家庭成员，你们好：
正如大家看到的，中国国内的新冠病毒疫情在过去的两周之内得到了很好地控制。中国已经不再是每天新增病例最多的国家。杭州市以及浙江省在过去的几天之内都没有发现任何的新增病历。不幸的是，新冠病毒现在在韩国，日本，意大利和伊朗出现了爆发。来自疾病控制中心和世界卫生组织的信息表明，这个病毒很可能演变为季节性流感，对老年人以及有基础疾病的人群威胁很大。这将意味着，中国可能会对境外返回人员实施越来越严格的隔离措施。昨天，我们还跟杭州市教育局的领导会面，当面探讨了一下关于开学的准备工作，注意事项，以及大家所关心的线上教学情况。教育局的领导表示，一般会提前两周向外公布校园可以重新开放的时间。这样一来：
在不可抗力情况下，按政府指示：杭州国际学校校园自2月3日关闭，开园日期另行通知！
就此看来，校园在3月9日开放的可能性不大。我们现在建议大家不要提前制定任何旅行计划。为此，我们将研究如何才能更好地为那些在14天通知期内回杭的家庭提供服务。等我们得知确切的开校日期以后，我们会在同一时间给大家发放一份更新的日程安排，希望在下周可以有更多的信息分享给大家。
同时，杭州国际学校会继续认真地履行自己的承诺，在这个非常时期，为杭州的国际社区提供优质的国际教育资源。在这一段时间以来，我们积极地在跟IB组织以及WASC组织取得联系，跟他们分享在这一段特殊时间，我们线上教学的情况。对于这次全球性的疫情爆发，不光只有在中国的国际学校受到影响，为了确保学生的安全，各国的国际学校纷纷开展线上教学。线上教学的课时会被计入正式的课时，可以用作转学或大学申请。
最后，我非常理解一部分家长的担心和焦虑，但我还是想强调，如果家长或孩子有任何的困难，请一定就各自的问题跟我们取得联系。这些困难可能是学习上的，社交情绪上的，家庭方面的或其他方面的，我们愿意就个体的情况来提供更好的支持。同时，我们也在线上教学方面提供积极地调整，每个年级至少安排一位中文及一位英文支持人员。我们的学生支持团队也随时在线，为有需要的学生和家长提供帮助。此外，这个团队还可以指导家长如何在家支持孩子的线上学习，并在这段特殊时间内为孩子提供健康的生活方式。高/低年级段校长稍后会跟大家分享每天的日程安排，同时跟大家分享指定支持人员的信息。当然，校长们在任何时候都愿意听取意见或建议。
再一次，感谢大家在这个特殊时期的耐心和理解。