Coming Back, Staying Safe 

Dear TGS Families:

Thank you for navigating the remote version of parent-teacher conferences this week! We appreciate your flexibility and patience and I’m certain that you, like me, marvel at the good work our faculty and students have been doing over the course of the first quarter. 

Your flexibility and patience will hold us in good stead as we begin our transition to in-person learning. At this time, the Pima County Health Department and its metrics continue to support the implementation of hybrid opening school plans. Therefore, subject to PCHD’s ongoing support, our 5th graders (class of ’28) will join us on Monday, October 19. The 8th and 12th grades will be added the week of October 26. The remaining grades will be added the week of November 2. We will provide at least one week’s notice should our plans need to change. Please keep in mind that all grades will continue to attend school remotely on Wednesdays for at least the rest of the semester, to allow for more thorough cleaning of the campus.  

As you can see from the photos above and provided in this week’s newsletter, our “tent village” has increased on campus in anticipation of students returning. We’ve added 12 tents, creating 9,800 square feet of tented outdoor learning space. We still need a number of small outdoor tables and umbrellas, so if you have gently used ones that could be donated to the school, they would be much appreciated!  Please contact Mary Babbitt at mbabbitt@gregoryschool.org if you need assistance in transporting donations to campus.

The majority of our community wants the opportunity to return to campus. We can only do this if everyone does their part in keeping each other safe by practicing our safety protocols consistently and correctly.

How can you help at this point? Please continue to work with your children about what social distancing looks and feels like. Try measuring out six feet at home and practice conversing from that distance—or eating from that distance—so that students can begin creating a mental model. This is going to be the most challenging aspect for everyone, as we begin in-person learning. If they’ve not been wearing a mask, you may even encourage your child to do so at home to help them adapt to how it feels for an extended period of time. And finally, practice 20 second hand washing with soap!

Thank you for doing your part in practicing these protocols at home and in the community. We want to be successful—and that success will be defined by everyone’s good health.

Gratefully,

Julie A. Sherrill, Ph.D.
Head of School