Head of School's Message: August 10

I read an interview with Alan Alda last week in which he was asked if he felt optimistic or pessimistic about the current situation, "With the world changing so rapidly, there's no point in being optimistic or pessimistic about anything," he said, "You've got to surf uncertainty because it's all we get." 
I read an interview with Alan Alda last week in which he was asked if he felt optimistic or pessimistic about the current situation, "With the world changing so rapidly, there's no point in being optimistic or pessimistic about anything," he said, "You've got to surf uncertainty because it's all we get." 
 
Towards the end of last week, LA's Public Health Department expressed cautious optimism that the community spread of COVID-19 had slowed, and key indicators such as hospitalizations and infection rates were stabilizing. At school, we remain hopeful that while there is still a long way to go, opening for in-person learning sometime this fall is not out of the question.
 
Following LA County's lead, Pasadena's Health Department announced last week that infection rates are too high for waivers to be considered for schools to re-open early for K-6 students. 
 
Here's the press release:
 
"The City of Pasadena Department of Public Health will adhere to new guidance from the California Department of Public Health, which recommends that Counties with case rates of COVID-19 at or above 200 cases per 100,000 residents do not extend waivers for the re-opening of classroom instruction for students in grades TK- 6.
 
California health officials have barred school campuses from re-opening this fall in counties on the State's coronavirus monitoring list due to high case counts or other metrics reflecting the transmission of the virus in the County. 
 
"The science and data are guiding the decision-making, and although discouraging, it's in the best interest to help protect the health and safety of our children, teachers and staff and their families they go home to every night," states Dr. Ying-Ying Goh. 
This decision will be reconsidered once the case rate falls to the levels recommended by the State.
 
The Pasadena Health Department will continue to work with all of our partners across the County to implement the infection control strategies we know effectively reduce community transmission and case rates, so that schools can re-open for in-person instruction as soon as the data and science tell us it's safer to do so."
 
Chandler's board of trustees, faculty, staff and CFA support applying for a waiver once we are allowed. Meanwhile, Chandler administrators and faculty are focused on the distance learning program. We intend to make connections with new and returning Chandler students to develop community online. Just like good classroom instruction, good distance instruction has to address individual student needs. We are prioritizing interaction, collaboration and feedback to support learning with the understanding that although the year will start with distance learning, and we continue to ride the wave of uncertainty, Chandler is not pressing the pause button on educational quality.
 
 
Most sincerely,
John Finch
Head of School
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