MCH Community Update on COVID-19 - 3-17-20

I hope all of you are doing well and staying healthy during this unfolding event. We are all having to adjust to this new normal, which seems to be changing more quickly than ever. In times like this, it is more important than ever that our community stays connected and that our conversations flow in both directions.
Yesterday, Governor Inslee issued a new order closing many more types of businesses. In his address, he emphasized that it was truly time to stop making any decisions that could affect the exposed, high-risk people in our communities. I bring this up here because it reminds me that this starts with me, as an individual. I need to practice self-care, as well as care of those in my immediate community, and that we all need to be aware of the effect our actions have on others.
In all of the hard decisions we have had to make lately, we have had our families and our staff in mind, front and center. As we all adjust to this new, evolving reality of being distanced from one another, I ask that all of you also please take care of yourselves. Whether this means taking time to read a book, go for a walk or listen to music that helps transport you somewhere else, please find time to practice self-care. Additionally, you can practice self-care and care for your loved ones by keeping abreast of the most recent updates from King Co.
In more uplifting news, our Upper School began its Distance Learning program this yesterday with success! While there is of course an element of chaos built into something so new, I have been hearing positive feedback from our faculty so far. I am proud of how hard these folks have worked, and how successfully and quickly they have gotten this program up and running.
With that being said, we also recognize that many more of you are worried and curious about what learning from home will look like for children in the Early Childhood and Toddler programs. We want you to know that we are working on that this week. The directors of those programs, Melissa and Kim, have been working hard to put together something much more robust than what you have seen so far, with the goal of making it as user-friendly and accessible for all families. Please look for more to come on that in the next couple of days.
Finally, on childcare, please know that we are working on a solution as quickly as we can, and we appreciate your understanding while we figure this out. When considering alternative childcare options at MCH during the closure, there are many factors we need to consider. We will need many members of our teaching teams to continue working within our Distance Learning programs remotely, and we will also need to ensure our teacher to student ratio allows for both staff and students to be in childcare while also following state guidelines on social distancing. We are also actively working on increasing our operational safety and developing protocols to implement that will ensure a higher level of health and safety in our classrooms for both staff and students. All of these components will affect the number of families we will be able to serve. With all of that in mind, we have created a brief survey that will help us in creating a childcare solution that will work for those most in need.
I know I have said it many times recently, but sincerely know how grateful I am for your continued grace and patience as we work hard to put all of these plans into place. Please remember that I am here for you, and to reach out when you are in need. We are a beautiful, caring community and I am confident that we will come out of this stronger than ever.