How to Support Teachers' Emotional Needs Right Now - Greater Good We are working with real-time information, assessing current conditions and predictions for future trends with expert advice guidance from authorities in infectious disease, epidemiology and our regional public health partners. First, I want to thank you for your continued patience as the university finalizes the details that will allow us to issue student rebates. Employees or contract workers with positions that cannot maintain physical distancing, or where other work modifications to reduce virus spread are infeasible and impractical, will be tested prior to working with students. Our researchers have pooled their PPEs and shared them with local hospitals resources we hope will extend the safety of our courageous local healthcare providers on the front line. . Classes are back in session because of great effort by many. A Student Health Center physician will clear you to return to normal campus activity after 10 days, as long as you have gone at least 24 hours without symptoms, including no fever (without the use of fever-suppressing medications). On June 12, 2020 William & Mary released its planning process for the coming semester the Path Forward: Fall 2020. In our residential setting, we interpret this as roommate/suitemate groups. After July 31: information will be provided next week by the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer on the specifics of how we will assess return to work timelines based on the university's mission and areas of work. Today, Virginia Gov. 1. Masks must be worn indoors and outdoors on campus and off-campus, in. The world is watching, and we want W&M to be the model for how universities can successfully operate in person during a pandemic. Volunteers at William & Mary must provide this critical support remotely. We need to turn these rules of behavior into habits of behavior. Search wm.edu Search COVID-19-induced anxiety can make learning and information retention difficult. Faculty and instructional support staff are required to wear a face covering in indoor or outdoor classrooms, labs and other instructional spaces. Our ability to advance W&Ms mission during this pandemic will require each of us, without exception faculty, staff and students to comply with all COVID-related health and safety rules as articulated by university leadership generally, and the COVID-19 Planning Team in particular. Because our initial testing round began several weeks ago and based on patterns we are seeing at other campuses, during the first week after arrival we have decided to conduct a second required round of testing. By Friday, we will provide additional guidance on planning underway to support students, families, staff and faculty. We are working to identify and support any students who might have equipment, connectivity or other assistance needs in accessing online instruction. I feel great pride in our communitys shared commitment to this effort, despite the sacrifices that it has entailed. We'd love to know what messages are giving you strength, today and every day. We must do all in our power to protect one another. As we prepare to change our instructional delivery modes starting next week, we are expanding the pass-fail option for Spring 2020. Teachers can have an impact on. We must pace ourselves, give each other grace when our efforts fall short of our hopes, and take care of each other. Our live programs will be recorded to be used at your convenience. Our largest expenditures are on salaries for the faculty and staff who support teaching, learning, researchand our varied university operations, from student financial aid specialists, to career services, to facilities. We take this seriously, especially since the stakes for everyones health and safety are so high. Our conclusion is that the Class of 2020 deserves to be celebrated fully. More details about each event will follow. Tests will be sent based on your anticipated return date, according to a predetermined schedule arranged with W&Ms health care partners. I hope you can do the same, and I hope you can focus on forgiving yourselves if you're not perfect. Initially, staff members wanted to drive by houses in their cars, but considering the social distancing protocols that were in place at the time, the idea was changed to making a video and they reached out to fellow staff to collect clips and edit them all together. We know how challenging learning has been during the pandemic. All other students should delay their return. They are merely waiting in the wings until its safe enough to be back in the classroom. First, I send my sincere thanks to students, faculty and staff who have worked tirelessly and honored our Healthy Together Community Commitment in order to make the fall semester a success in the face of considerable challenges. By establishing a care network, we hope to lessen the complications of navigating the university system as you work to remain well or recover. Celebrating the work of W&M faculty, staff and students. Meals will be delivered to students in isolation in Richmond Hall. Students will receive a window of time during which they can log on and select a check-in appointment. You are navigating this challenging spring with grace and compassion. A lot of my students arent able to get online to be able to get the internet to do the stuff, she added. In light of those conditions and with the health and safety of our W&M community as our highest priority, in-person Family Weekend and Homecoming & Reunions Weekend will be re-imagined as opportunities for virtual gatherings. I think the biggest part for me is the relationships and being with the students and not being able to interact with them and be there with them through their successes and challenges in the classroom.. Touchless temperature stations placed strategically around campus will support self-assessment. All students living in campus housing, who plan to attend in-person instruction or use university facilities, will be required to have a negative COVID-19 test before returning to campus. Only students who are not currently located in the region or not planning to return to Williamsburg will be excused from mandatory prevalence testing. These decisions will have consequences for each of us professionally and personally. As the coronavirus pandemic continues, teachers and students all over the country have had to adjust to new ways of learning at a social distance. The semesters in-person classes abruptly ended due to health orders put in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 39 Back to School Quotes for Teachers and Students - Country Living Students who experience symptoms over the course of the semester should make an appointment with the Student Health Center for a clinical assessment and testing if necessary. Teachers report violence and aggression from parents and students We will have more general information about Summer 2021 later this summer. Please take a moment to review FAQs about the transition from fall to spring semester. The deadline for residential undergraduate students to select a meal plan was July 8. We recognize the uncertainty so many are feeling. Stay tuned for more information on the return-to-campus testing requirements. Please continue to stay safe and look out for one another. Editors note: Phased planning has amended some information included in the July 22 message. It is imperative that we all hold ourselves accountable for keeping our campus and neighbors safe: For those unwilling to follow the necessary health and safety protocols, it is important to be clear that there will be consequences for violations. Greeting Card Messages In The Time Of Coronavirus - Ideas & Inspiration Thank you all for working so hard to protect your own health and that of the community this semester. As we head into the weekend, I write to those of you who continue to act in selfish ways thatput our in-person semester at risk. So we will continue to share more details as they become available. Professor Jal Mehta isn't surprised that some students and teachers are finding positives during remote learning. As we face the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and plan carefully for a 2020-21 academic year in-person and on campus, a commitment to community-wide actions is essential. 20 inspirational quotes to lift you up - Kids Help Phone Covid 19: The positives from teaching in 2020 - BBC Teach A Prayer for Teachers and Educators during the COVID Crisis Next week I will launch a swift, cross-university planning process to build scenarios for in-person learning on campus in Fall 2020 and beyond. For Uniform purchases, please go to our Uniform Shop page. But many parents and educators have been struggling with their new . We are planning a phased move-in for undergraduate students living in on-campus housing. We determined that the logistics company Kallaco and its CLIA-Certified lab partners, including Opteo, provided the best balance of things we needed: high-quality clinical testing laboratories (CLIA is the gold standard); volume of tests available for those laboratories, and turnaround times. By diligently adhering to the practices of physical distancing, good hand and personal environment hygiene, appropriate mask wearing, daily monitoring of symptoms as well as testing, quarantine if warranted, and isolation of individuals who test positive for the coronavirus we can significantly reduce the risk of spreading the virus through on-campus activities. Note that phased planning has updated some messages since their original issuance. William & Mary employees are preparing for students to return to campus in early August. As the economic picture becomes clearer, in the coming weeks and months, we will keep the community apprised of further steps that may be needed to safeguard W&Ms financial health and the financial health of those in our community. Children will look at you and learn from the skills you use daily to deal with stressful situations. You can also access Kids Help Phone's e-mental health services 24/7 for support. An archive of messages sent to William & Mary students about the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for your cooperation. Many just burned out. I want to acknowledge how much we are asking of all employees, whatever your roles. We will chart a thoughtful path forward stronger in the future because of the dedication and creativity of our students, faculty and staff and because of the relationships that we forge in the coming weeks. The sobering lesson is that the William & Mary community needs to be all in on our strict health and safety protocols, on and off campus. Buy that oversized $30 pack of UNO that is literally impossible to shuffle just so you can say you own it. It offers regional data and information from W&Ms testing program. On National Teacher Day, here are 15 inspiring quotes for teachers during the pandemic, courtesy of Parade and Teach Thought. Katie is a first-grade teacher. We are extremely proud of our 2020 graduates, and we hope we'll be able to celebrate with you this fall. Your contributions are appreciated and we thank you in our prayers, hearts, and minds each and every day. These students should closely track EMT messages regarding Hurricane Isaias. Starting next week, we will begin a program of prevalence testing, beginning with an initial sampling of 5% of the student body and 2% of the employee/contractor population. The Impact of COVID-19 on School Mathematics Curriculum Children around the world thank teachers for helping them keep learning before, during and after COVID-19 school closures. For employees, they will help transition to remote work or leave, coordinate notification to departments and arrange cleaning and disinfecting. As we work through immediate-term solutions in crisis mode, we will begin to shift to living, teachingand learning during a pandemic. , It is my sincere hope that each of you will tap into tools and resources that you have found work best for you during trying times. Earlier today, Dean of Students Marjorie Thomas shared with all students W&Ms Fall, An introduction to the Healthy Together commitment, COVID-19 and its prevention, A tutorial on mask use and requirements at William & Mary, A review of proper preventative hygiene, including hand washing, the use of sanitizer and the difference between cleaning and disinfecting spaces, Tips on how to handle situations in which peoples behavior diverges from our shared commitment to health, A conclusion that reinforces the main points and offers additional resources. Please join me for more discussion on this and other topics at our next Town Hall meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5. The exact type of face covering may vary depending on the instructional environment (e.g., a university-provided face shield may be required in a lab). Here are two web resources that provide additional information: Connecting remotely to campus IT resources. According to the CDC, symptoms of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath appear within 14 days after being exposed to the disease. As many of you know, Sam Jones retired at the beginning of December after an exemplary career at William & Mary, capped by his able leadership of the COVID-19 Response Team. You spend a little time learning what it's like to live in someone else's shoes." Country Living. We will continue to communicate regularly, to provide as much clarity as feasible, as soon as possible. Give us a couple more days to complete and compile our videos and then check in frequently on our main website, www.wm.edu/offices/wellness, or download our new W&M Wellness App! Parents of all students in the class/cohort. Your case manager will help make the arrangements. Resources for. Seeing people wearing their masks on campus and in the surrounding community hearing faculty and staff talk about connecting to students in Williamsburg and around the world I feel pride and hope as the semester comes alive. Your kids must be feeling overwhelmed, restless, anxious, and agitated with the sudden change in environment. I am sorry to be sharing news that I know saddens us all. At W&M, we take care of one another. Below my signature, you will find a high-level view of our current operations under the pandemic and an introduction to our planning process for next year. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, Commencement 2020 has been front-of-mind for our graduating students and their families. The upcoming tests will also be processed by William & Marys new partner lab, Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories, facilitated by VCU Health System. Please contact the Dean of Students Office for assistance. It is clear, given the continuing trajectory of the pandemic, that spring break will have to be different this academic year. Effective March 12, we will implement the following interim policies for modes of instruction, events and travel. Many of W&Ms protocols in the spring will mirror what proved successful in the fall, though W&M continues to refine processes and evaluate response to the ever-changing public health landscape. First and foremost, our thoughts and care are for those whose wellbeing has been and will be impacted, in our surrounding region and around the world. A return to campus, like all aspects of life, carries with it potential risk. Room and board costs are being communicated with students in mid-August. As we anticipate this final phase of move-in before the start of in-person classes on Tuesday, I write to share several important messages for those who have chosen to be on campus to live and learn this fall: We cannot let up. In the past two months, we have all witnessed the staggering impact of COVID-19 on our nations public health and economy. Above all, working and learning in company strengthens the deep human connections we prize at William & Mary.With these values in mind, we have much work to do to assess the adaptations to campus and curriculum that will be needed next year. It is equally disruptive for faculty and staff. "Don . Case managers will be assigned after you have completed the intake form at ReportCOVID.wm.edu. This includes events sponsored by any recognized student organization and other affiliated groups. Human Resources will send you an email detailing how to launch the training. Its a challenge, a challenge for every one of us, but we dont shy away from challenges at William & Mary. The following have three themes in common: 1) They speak to parents and teachers. I miss each and every one of the kids in the pre-school, Pre-K, and kindergarten classes where I work. Access to personal items. Please read the, Freshman and sophomore students are still required to live on campus. Please know that although the Residence Life office is closed to the general public they will still be responding to emails sent to living@wm.edu. We continue to invite your questions and comments at COVIDResponse@wm.edu as we implement the Path Forward: Fall 2020 plans. Outbreak of COVID-19 in a class/cohort. How Teachers Are Coping With the New Realities of the COVID-19 Classroom The McCombs school boasts a whopping 6,500 students with 200 professors. We are continuing to make decisions in a measured, phased way, taking the steps required to flatten the curve of financial impact due to COVID-19.This spring has clarified much about why we value face-to-face learning at William & Mary and why we seek to return to it with such a strong sense of purpose. We are aiming for Labor Day weekend. W&M will provide each student a free COVID-19 saliva test, mailed in advance of returning. On April 28, a video was shared on YouTube featuring the principal, teachers and staff members of the Van Holten Primary School. As we welcome new students into the William & Mary community and formally start classes, the excitement of a new academic year is palpable. Do not test the resolve of this university to take swift action to prioritize the health and well-being of our campus and the Williamsburg community. Honorlock is an online remote proctoring service that allows students to take exams from home. With these adaptations in mind, I have charged a small, multidisciplinary planning group to assess potential solutions for the coming fall and present them to me by the end of the month. The William & Mary Finance Office is finalizing the process of distributing student rebates and will communicate specifics with students via email no later than Thursday, April 2. From students donating their rebates to others in need to our makerspaces creating personal protective equipment for first responders and healthcare workers, the people of W&M are finding ways to support one another, their families and their communities during this challenging time. So I ask you to read what follows with care. We have an obligation to one another to extend flexibility and understanding everywhere possible. Teachers' Acts of Kindness During Coronavirus. These 4 Inspirational Letters From Teachers to Students Will Ease Exam Pains By Jovita Aranha March 9, 2018 These beautiful letters by teachers have been immensely helpful for not just students but also their anxious parents. Teachers hope kids will create We will get through this signs for their windows. -- Ed. "I would like to begin by recognising our parents, families, and loved ones, especially my mum and dad, who, may not be physically present with us, but who are, as always, cheering us on from the screens of the Great Hall or on their devices; our lecturers for imparting their wisdom - who have recently acquired the number 1 spot in the recent We recognize the stress this uncertainty places on students, families, faculty, staff and the communities we belong to. Compliance with these requirements is mandatory for this period. Degree-seeking academic juniors and seniors may elect Pass/Fail grading for up to two normally-graded courses; academic freshmen and sophomores may elect to take one normally-graded course on a Pass/Fail basis this semester. Ginger Ambler____________________________Virginia M. Ambler 88, Ph.D. 06Vice President for Student AffairsWilliam & Mary. For more transparency, weve created a graphic that sketches these three strands of work and their relationship to each other. Find Life & Wellbeing resources on We Are Teachers - Page 1 of 35. Itonly takes a handful of studentsbehavingrecklesslyto jeopardizetheabilityfor all of usto be on campus this fall. We will decide by April 1 whether to extend them further.