Head of School's Message: October 16

John Finch
At Friday night’s second grade parent party, hosted by Shahab and Nadia Shamsi, I asked several parents what points about Chandler they would emphasize to visitors at Saturday’s open house if they were me. The trifecta of community, teachers and program surfaced in everyone’s responses.
 
The community was out in force on Saturday. Thanks go to our students, alumni, parents and board members for showing up and promoting Chandler with hospitality and conviction. The number of visitors felt overwhelming, but there was no shortage of Chandler hosts. Thank you for volunteering to support the school and thanks for spending your Saturday morning at Chandler. You inspire us.
 
Emergency preparedness has been on our minds in the wake of recent natural catastrophes. One of Chandler’s Lower School parents reported that her relatives in Mexico City survived the recent earthquake because they participated in a city wide drill several hours before the actual quake. They knew how to respond once the earth started shaking.
 
We held an earthquake drill at school on Wednesday. Once the students had ducked and covered in the classrooms, they gathered on the field. Faculty and staff committees went through the drill of searching buildings, unpacking supplies, administering first aid and coordinating pick-ups.
 
For emergency notification purposes, parent phone numbers are hosted in a database center located in Minnesota. In the event of an earthquake or fire, a message would be relayed to all our families. Details of the emergency service line and emergency procedures are included in our Parent/Student Handbook.
 
Once a month during the school year we hold fire drills on the field. During last month’s fire drill, we evacuated both buildings and gathered on the field in less than two minutes once the alarm sounded. Our alarm system is connected to Pasadena’s Fire Department. Last year on one occasion I forgot to call the fire station to let the fire fighters know we were holding a drill. We heard the siren of an approaching fire truck before the students had gathered on the field.
 
Lock down procedures are part of our emergency preparedness. A three-digit number sent from any phone on the campus alerts teachers to keep students in their classrooms with the door locked until an ‘all clear’ signal is broadcast.
 
All Chandler faculty and staff members are CPR certified, and they know how to administer a defibrillator. Before school started this year, Chandler parent and USC Trauma Center Director Dr. Kenji Inaba and a group of doctors taught faculty and staff how to stop bleeding in the event of serious trauma. We have tourniquets in three locations on campus.
 
Everyone at Chandler knows what to do in the event of an emergency. We practice responses to severe events throughout the school year. During the past five weeks we have had too many opportunities to see how other communities in California, Nevada, Texas, Florida, Puerta Rico and Mexico have responded to emergencies. Television news has captured examples of people staying calm and knowing what to do. Chandler personnel are prepared to respond in a similar fashion at school to keep your children safe.
  
HONG KONG EXCHANGE
 
Friday, October 20 is the deadline to sign up for the Hong Kong exchange that takes place in February and July. The exchange is available to Chandler students in grades 5-8. The goal of the program is to promote cross cultural understanding through a ten-day immersive shool visit and home stay. During the exchange, students participate in school and family life. Students are accompanied by faculty and staff chaperones from their respective schools and stay with host families.
 
Students spend the weekdays attending classes at their hosts' school and on the two weekend Saturdays the three schools organize group tours and travel together. Host families are responsible for organizing activities on the first Sunday of the trip.
 
Chandler students will visit Hong Kong from Thursday, February 22 to Sunday, March 4. Students from Hong Kong will visit Chandler from July 13 to July 22.
 
We will work with Diocesan Boys School and Diocesan Girls School in Hong Kong. This will be the third year of the exchange program with DBS and the second year with DGS. Last year we took twelve Chandler students to Hong Kong, six boys and six girls. 
 
Because the program involves a home stay, we ask that if you send your son or daughter to Hong Kong you will agree to host a student in July 2018, from July 13 to July 22. Chandler students will be accompanied to Hong Kong by Chandler's Director of Technology Trevor Spicer, Human Resource Director Katherine Anastasia and Director of Innovation Kimberly Edwards.
 
The program fee of $2,500 includes the round trip flight to Hong Kong. Please contact me if you would like more information (jfinch@chandlerschool.org). Personal testimonials from Chandler students who attended last year are attached.
 
Most sincerely,
John Finch
Head of School
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