Dear Families,

It was great to connect virtually with so many of you on Sunday night's virtual "town hall." Even though we cannot be physically together, these gatherings always make me feel more connected as a community and reconfirm the important role that Foote plays in the lives of our students and families.

For those who weren't able to tune in, I want to provide some news and updates. You can find full video of the meeting on our main Distance Learning page.

Parent Survey: Thanks to everyone who completed our second parent survey about distance learning. We received more than 200 responses. We were pleased to see that the great majority of families rate the quality of distance learning "good" or "excellent", and are finding the amount of work and the balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning about right. We also heard from parents eager for more one-on-one and small group instruction, and we continue to work to make adjustments in our program based on your feedback.
Watch Your Mailbox: Every student will be receiving a "Foote Spring 2020" t-shirt, designed by 9th grader Kwasi Adae. These creative shirts are in lieu of this year's Field Day t-shirt and, in the spirit of unity, will be grey with maroon writing! Click here to fill out the order form. Additionally, every student will also be receiving his or her summer reading book by mail.
Summer at Foote: After much consideration, as well as guidance from our COVID-19 Task Force, we have decided that Foote will not have on-site summer programs this year. The level of risk and the need to focus our resources on planning for the fall were among the reasons for this decision. I am pleased to share that we will offer distance learning opportunities at no cost to families. We will have academic resources focused on math and literacy, as well as enrichment opportunities similar to after-school minicourses. Watch for more information in the coming days.
Supporting Foote Employees: I am happy to share that the school has been awarded a loan under the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which will ensure that all school employees, including After School Program staff, continue to be paid through June and do not face additional economic hardship.
Planning for the Fall: We are currently planning for the fall based on a number of different scenarios. These include a full return to campus or full distance learning program, as well as a "hybrid" model that combines in-person and remote learning. All decisions will be based on guidance/directives from state and city governments, as well as Foote's COVID-19 Task Force. That group is composed of Foote staff (including me and incoming Head of School Aléwa Cooper) as well as Board members; a Yale School of Public Health epidemiologist; our consulting pediatrician; our risk manager and crisis consultant; and senior administrators at Yale University. We will share further updates in the coming weeks.
Leadership Transition: We remain focused on a successful transition of leadership to our incoming Head of School, Aléwa Cooper, who begins on July 1. A transition committee of Board members, parents and staff has been established, and Aléwa is speaking weekly with me and members of Foote's administrative team.
Tuition Freeze: Finally, I am pleased to share that the Board of Directors has approved a tuition freeze for the next academic year; tuition for the 2020-2021 school year will be frozen at the current (2019-2020) level. This will be reflected in your June bills. We know this crisis has put economic strain on many families and we hope this step will help alleviate some of that burden.

We have much to celebrate in these final three weeks of school and I look forward to hearing more about all of the ways that you and your children are finding joy and resilience in learning during this unprecedented time. Your positive spirit has lifted us all these past two months, and we are grateful for your partnership and commitment to our school community.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with anything that's on your mind.

Best,

Carol Maoz

Head of School