Update from Kevin: School Closed through the End of the School Year

April 17, 2020

Dear Aidan Families,

Just this past Wednesday, I wrote to tell you that Aidan Montessori School would remain on its Distance Learning Plan (DLP) until at least May 15th. I am writing today to tell you that the school building will remain closed and our DLP will remain in place through the end of the school year. This comes on the heels of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announcing that this is what DCPS will be doing.

While not all of our decisions are or will be made in lock step with DCPS, there are several influences on the School’s decision-making process. One of these is that the Stay at Home order will remain in place, and its social distancing parameters forbid the basic workings of our school. Also, there is a concept known as “standard of care.” In this case, the government has declared that the standard of care remains, as is, through the end of the school year, and all institutions are ethically obliged to operate within a set standard of care.

The challenges that COVID-19 has posed to date have been extraordinary, for our children, our families, our teachers, and our staff. No matter how you feel you are doing in the midst of the obstacles you have faced, please congratulate yourself, then turn to the people you are with and hug them. No matter how you feel, you are doing your best, as are the people around you. The School will continue to be a resource to you and your family, even on those days when you might be too overwhelmed to make use of us.

I am truly sorry for today’s news. I had very much hoped that we would all have six weeks, four weeks, two weeks of normalcy before the school year ended. The School will continue to seek ways to normalize some of our annual traditions as much as it can. Regardless, my guess is that this news has made nobody’s Friday a little brighter. Please, take the weekend and find some peace of mind so that we may all demonstrate our combined resilience come Monday.

Sincerely,

Kevin