Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year

Dear Peregrine Families,

This is indeed an extraordinary time for a school year to start. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, our primary goal remains steadfastly the same: to provide the highest quality education and childcare for your children. This year, we face the added challenge of maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment, not only for the sake of everyone in our school community but the greater community at large.  We have no doubt that our school of extraordinary people will overcome the obstacles together – and even make some wonderful memories in the process. 

Today marks the first day of the academic year for the Elementary School and the Early Childhood Centers (ECC).  Our dedicated teachers safely held workshops all last week despite the high temperatures followed by smoke and ash from wildfires.  ECC classes will open with full-time care from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM and continue to follow pandemic guidelines with reduced class sizes, among many others.  We are hopeful that high temperatures and smoke will subside so that we can return to using our carefully designed outdoor classrooms to decrease COVID-19 exposure for all.  Our Elementary School program will initially open on distance learning for at least two weeks, as communicated by Chris Erickson, our Elementary School Director. We are in close communication with Yolo County and remain hopeful that a waiver will be granted for us to start in-person instruction for elementary students after Labor Day, especially in light of the success of our summer camp programs.  

To ensure awareness and transparency of the school’s policies and procedures regarding COVID19, a complete copy of Peregrine School’s pandemic policies is posted on our website: www.peregrineschool.org  Rachel Warner, our Pandemic Coordinator, will update the website with any changes and new developments.   

It is our sincere belief, as a project-based school, that in-person, collaborative, and hands-on projects are the best way for elementary students to learn.  Thus, we are absolutely committed to opening for in-person instruction as soon as we can.  Our carefully-designed outdoor classrooms provide the best environment for such learning and also have the added benefit of decreasing COVID-19 exposure during in-person instruction.  However, no matter how safely and carefully we implement and follow the rules at school, the most important factor for in-person instruction will be how safely and carefully each of us follow the guidelines while away from school.  Please, remain vigilant and cautious for the sake of your families, the school community, and the community at large.  With each of us striving to be the strongest link in the chain, we can successfully stem the devastating effect of the pandemic in the region and still enable our children to grow academically, socially, and emotionally in an in-person educational setting. 

This year, even more than prior years, communication will be crucial.  We make every effort to be accessible to families at all times and to build that strong community among families and teachers in creative ways despite the pandemic.  Your first point of contact will be your child’s teacher(s), then the director in charge of the appropriate program.  See below for various points of contact.  Please reach out with any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments.  

We look forward to another SOAR-ing year with you!

Sincerely,

S. Susan King, Board Chair