Miami Country Day School has been closely monitoring the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

Before we go our separate ways for the weekend, I’d like to share with you some details around the upcoming summer programs as well as preparations for fall scenarios. While there are still many unknowns when we think about what the coming weeks and months will look like for our community, I hope you will take comfort in knowing there are exciting and expanding opportunities on the horizon.

We are introducing new and innovative ways to keep our families and the broader community connected and engaged, even after the school year ends.

• Virtual Summer Camp: A variety of virtual programs will be available, from day camp activities to sports camp, beginning on June 1.

• Academic Courses: For grades 8-12, this includes a range of for-credit online and hybrid courses across disciplines. For grades 6-7, these courses are enrichment-based. All courses begin on June 15. Curated educational and thematic activities will also be made available to grades K-5 later in the summer. Please stay tuned for more information about our Lower School courses.

• GATEway Experience: A cultural enrichment experience with virtual travel to Argentina and Latin America for grades 6-12, beginning on June 15.

Further details regarding all summer programs can be found in our summer brochure here. Registration will be open on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.

 

We are eager to return to campus as soon as it is deemed safe by federal and state officials, but to ensure that faculty and staff remain prepared and agile, we are developing tiered scenarios. The leadership team is drafting plans for a full return to campus, the possibility of completely online experience, and also a hybrid of both. In addition, I have created a task force, guided by medical expertise, that is dedicated to understanding social distancing procedures and will prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and families, if and when we return to campus.

As we plan for these scenarios, we have drafted associated schedules that are being presented to the Finance committee of the Board of Trustees next week and then to the Board of Trustees during the last week in May. Once approved by the Board of Trustees, this information will be finalized and shared with families in June.

For additional information, please view our COVID-19 Contingency Overview here.

 

Finally, with Teacher Appreciation Week coming to a close, I want to once again share how proud I am of our faculty. Our teachers continue to show up for our students with passion, commitment, and drive, despite an environment that is unpredictable and ever-evolving. I want to take a moment to formally thank them for all they have done in these past few months to provide our students with a meaningful educational experience.

As always, MCDS is committed to investing in innovative and thoughtful ways to ensure your children receive a world-class educational program, regardless of the method in which it is presented. Therefore, in preparation for a possible shift to online learning during the next academic year, our teachers are all participating in a robust professional development program in order to expand and deepen their online instruction skills. This all-faculty training will be grounded in our whole-child philosophy, so that, while we will always prioritize being on campus together, we will nevertheless be prepared to deliver a mission-aligned online experience, should this become necessary.  

I wish you all an enjoyable weekend ahead.

 

Stay safe & stay connected,

 

Mariandl Hufford

President & Head of School