Dear Parents/Guardians, Staff and boys
I trust that all members of our Glenwood Family are safe and sound and ready to start Term Two.
I am sure that many of you are feeling anxious as we welcome you back to a different learning experience. Many of our boys will initially still be at home, supported by online teaching and for our matrics returning to school (provisionally on 1 June) things will not be as they previously were.
However, I am confident that we have the courage, resilience, empathy, compassion and strength of character to get through this together. The Brotherhood and sense of belonging have been, and will be kept alive through social media and our various learning platforms.
I would like to thank and commend the staff, boys and parents who stayed in touch and kept the communication and encouragement going through the time of lockdown. No previous generation of Glenwood Boys have been asked to do this and the way in which you have conducted yourselves will be forever part of your legacy.
After a lengthy meeting today, our management team has decided to publish a schedule of work for each grade every Wednesday. Boys will now be working at their own pace and submit completed tasks electronically to their teachers. The schedule for Zoom lessons will be advertised by the staff offering that and staff will also communicate with their classes on Google Classroom. Our IT Support Team will be available to offer support to our staff and boys. The Form Heads will attend to all emails on a daily basis. We understand that some households and families do not have access to technology and we will therefore have printed resource material available as well. I appeal to parents to communicate with the school so that we can assist and support. We understand that Grade 12 boys and their parents, in particular, are very concerned about their academic programme. Rest assured that we are determined to climb this mountain with you and maintain our excellent academic standards. A separate document will be attached with guidelines of our online teaching platforms.
All health and safety precautions will be in place by the time the boys and staff return to school. We ask for your assistance in the following protocols:
1. Do not send your son to school if he is not feeling well. However, let us know about the reason for his absence.
2. Please ensure that your son leaves home with his mask and sanitizer. We will screen boys upon arrival and before they go home. All venues will be sanitized.
3. Boys using public transport as well as our school buses must adhere to social distancing.
4. An amendment to the Code of Conduct dealing with all the health and safety issues has been drawn up and published before boys return.
5. We encourage boys to eat healthily and possibly also take a supplement to boost their immune system.
We are all very keen to see our boys again; we missed their banter, energy and typical boyishness! We are ready for the term and all its challenges; trusting God for our protection and well-being.
OGA!
Kind Regards
Dr Andri Barnes
Principal, Glenwood High School