Our Plan is Working

I am happy to share that the school year thus far, by nearly every measure, has been a success.

• Our plan is working. Mask wearing, daily health screenings, mandatory COVID testing for faculty and staff, strongly encouraged COVID testing for students, hand sanitizing, physical distancing, and frequent campus cleaning and disinfection are helping in our effort to continue offering on-campus instruction.
• We have experienced very few COVID cases in our teaching and learning community. We have seen three confirmed COVID cases among our students, faculty, and staff since school began. With nearly 750 children and adults working on campus each day, that is a number to celebrate.
• Remote learning is meeting the needs of our at-home learners. While the majority of our students come to campus each day, some students need to learn from home during this time. In true Sanford form, our teachers have shown their flexibility and creativity and developed a remote learning experience that is the next best thing to being here.
• Sanford welcomed 145 new students this fall, for a total enrollment of 629—the strongest enrollment we have seen in more than a decade. Families want the Sanford experience, especially when we can deliver it on campus and in-person. Because COVID required us to limit class sizes, we had to cap enrollment for several grades. Without the class-size limitations, our enrollment number might have been even higher.

Getting to this point has taken a significant investment of time, energy, and resources. When state officials gave us the green light to open for on-campus instruction, we knew that operating in 2020–21 would differ from previous years. To facilitate a safe and successful opening, we:

• Made class sizes smaller in rooms where social distancing would be challenging
• Hired part-time aides to assist faculty and staff in all three divisions
• Purchased event tents to provide outdoor learning spaces
• Added outdoor WiFi to facilitate connectivity for outdoor classes
• Hired a part-time nurse to assist School Nurse Jen Conway
• Staffed cleaners to assist in sanitizing Sanford buildings during the school day
• Added outdoor hand-washing stations
• Installed bottle-filling stations and touchless faucets
• Added air purifiers to every classroom and office
• Installed Global Plasma Solutions' ionization system to every HVAC system on campus.

In short, Sanford School leaders—with the full support of our Board of Trustees —did everything possible to ensure that our learning spaces were as clean as possible and that our teachers had the tools necessary to teach effectively during these extraordinary times.
 
As proud as I am of our community’s success these past seven months, it is too soon to claim victory. Until COVID is a thing of the past, our entire community must remain vigilant, both at home and at school. Sanford is committed to doing our part to help all of our students stay healthy, safe, and engaged. Thank you for your support and partnership.