Dear ASF Community,
We are fast approaching the end of the 2019-20 school year. I want to echo the division heads as they have written this week to thank our ASF parents for the dedication they have shown to helping their children cope with the challenges of distance learning. You already have full-time jobs running businesses, running households, and yet you have found the time to help tutor your children and support their education.
I want to thank, too, our students, parents, faculty and staff who have begun and supported initiatives across Mexico City to support others during this pandemic. The Parent Association has made a very generous gift of almost $1.5 million MXP to support additional financial aid for ASF families whose livelihoods have been threatened by the economic challenges that have accompanied COVID-19. ASF parents, students, staff, and teachers have joined with other local businesses to support food baskets for families in the communities surrounding our campus who might otherwise go without.
Other individuals and families have stepped up with donations of their own, such as protective gear for ASF employees who are still working each day on campus, medical protective gear for doctors and nurses in hospitals around the city, donations of tech devices to help people keep in touch when social distancing turns into social isolation.
This is an amazing community and I'm proud to be associated with you all.
And now some details for closing the school year. The last day for any activities for students or faculty will be Friday, June 12, 2020. A few things to note. First, public schools have now announced an earlier closing date. Our agreement with the SEP is based on a number of academic contact days for which we need to demonstrate learning in the form of projects or assessments. Second, you will certainly find that your student's days next week will not always be filled with classes and homework. The end of the year is marked by a number of important ceremonies to mark milestones in our students' academic journeys (such as the grade 5 and grade 8 stepping up ceremonies), class get-togethers for farewells, and awards events.
You will continue to hear from us during the summer as we plan for the reopening of school in August. What that reopening will look like (face-to-face, mixed on-campus and off-campus learning, or online for a period of time) is still to be decided. Whatever model we use, it will start with some intensive remediation for essential content and skills in core subjects that were missed this summer. We have all learned a lot in these past weeks, and with continued professional development, we will get even better.
I wish you all a wonderful end of the year. Keep safe, look after each other, and take pride in knowing that Bears are stronger together.
Sincerely yours,
Mark Iver Sylte, Executive Director