April 23, 2020
Dear IvyCrest Parents,
We hope this letter finds you and your family well. I appreciate all of you completing our recent survey, as it is incredibly useful in determining who in our school family are children of essential workers and your anticipated return dates.
Recently, the Department of Social Services and Department of Education have collaborated to temporarily modify their regulations in regards to the daily operations of private schools and preschools/daycare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a private school and daycare center, we are legally able to operate our school for essential workers as long as we follow their guidelines. Once the temporary restrictions are lifted, we will communicate with all our families that in-class instruction and care will be available for all our students.
Therefore, we will be inviting those who have indicated they are an essential worker, and need care effective May 1st, to return to in-class instruction and care on Friday, May 1st, 2020. If you are an essential worker, and need care sooner than the date you indicated on your survey, please contact your Director so we may make accommodations. We will be reaching out to all of our families who are scheduled to return May 1st regarding the new guidelines and modifications to our drop off and pick up procedures on Friday, April 24. As not all children are able to be in attendance on May 1st, we will be continuing our distance learning program until further notice.
Even while our buildings are closed, work behind the scenes continues. Our teachers are continuously preparing online learning opportunities and resources for their students, working to keep our young people as engaged as possible. In other words, while our doors may not be open, school is still very much in session. We are privileged to have such dedicated teachers leading the way. Our leadership team is at school everyday to help assist parents during this time of transition. We know parents are struggling to balance work, child care, distance learning and self-care while keeping worries — both your children’s and your own — under control. You don’t have to do it alone. We have resources to help with talking to your children about COVID-19, overcoming “I’m bored!,” and how to conquer challenges with distance learning. We have included some fun and helpful links and attachments at the bottom of this letter. Please reach out to any one of us, and we would love to help.
We would also like to update you on actions the Board of Directors has put into place to address the financial impact of COVID-19 on our school and families.
We are a privately-owned school without the financial backing of a large corporation or school district. Many of you have shown an outpouring of generosity and support to help us stay afloat during this time and it has left us speechless and grateful. Given this high level of uncertainty and to maintain transparency, we want to explain the actions the school is taking and discuss the framework of our current plan. The school is considering all options available, including government loans, staff furloughs with the intention of 100% rehire once in-class instruction and care resume, and tuition credit for our families. There are a number of moving parts to consider, and our plan is focused on providing the best short-term solution for our families while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the school.
We will extend the 50% tuition credit for the following scenarios for those who will be continuously enrolled:
- The school was unable to offer in-class instruction or care due to COVID-19
- Your child was physically unable to attend school as parents/guardians are not classified as essential workers
- For as long as we continue to offer distance learning (ClassDojo and Zoom Lessons)
If your family has any financial questions, please send your email to lmomongan@ivycrest.org.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our community safe during this crisis, whether you’re serving on the front lines or staying at home. We want to wish everyone in our IvyCrest community and all of their friends and family around the world good health, safety, and an early return to the life we all enjoyed just a short time ago.
Sincerely,
The IvyCrest Board of Directors