Return to School, January 2021
Dear Cub Family,
As your newly appointed Interim Superintendent, I want to assure you the safety and health of faculty, staff, and students is foremost in my mind. We will enter 2021 following the same safety protocols that were in place at the end of the fall semester. I’m sure many of you are concerned by the rise in the number of infections and hospitalizations as a result of COVID-19 that is being reported in the news daily. For the benefit of our students, we want to maintain full-time in-person instruction as long as it can be done in a safe and reasonable manner. I am encouraged by the reports I have received from school administration regarding the success that was achieved in the fall. I will continue to regularly consult with university, local, and state health officials as the semester progresses.
Additionally, your school leadership team will meet regularly to ensure we have criteria and a plan in place if any circumstances necessitate a change in our current process. We will also consider the ways that we can provide clear and essential information to parents regarding COVID-19 reporting. Faculty and staff will continue to be vigilant in maintaining and supporting proper safety protocols, and I appreciate your support in reminding students to do the same. We can keep transmission rates down by wearing masks properly, washing hands often, maintaining safe distances from each other, and avoiding travel and social gatherings as much as possible. Please report any exposure of students or family members to COVID-19 using our school's online COVID-19 reporting form so proper quarantine measures can be followed, and testing is recommended if any symptoms develop.
While news of the arrival of a vaccine is hopeful, difficult times are still ahead for students, staff, faculty, family members, and the larger community. Your continued understanding, cooperation, patience, and support is vitally important to the success of our students and school. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you and our school community.
Best wishes for a safe and successful 2021,
Paul Manthei, JD, PhD
Interim Superintendent, University Laboratory School