March 5, 2020

Dear TFA Families,

The global status of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is evolving daily and we are taking a proactive approach to the situation. With spring break around the corner, we wanted to inform you about related information as it has been updated since our last communication with you on this topic.

First, we strongly recommend families not travel to locations with CDC or U.S. Department of State Level 3 alerts or higher (see CDC Travel Guidelines). Based on the CDC’s current guidelines, a person who has visited a country elevated to Level 3 during the break must self-quarantine for 14 days before returning to campus.

Second, please know we are putting greater focus on prevention and have taken many precautions to keep our school as protected as possible:

• We have implemented more aggressive sanitization measures to clean frequently touched surfaces and wipe down desks, doors, public spaces, and bathrooms.
• We will continue to monitor the CDC guidelines regarding both domestic and foreign travel.
• We remain in close communication with our accreditation agencies and our counterparts in private Christian education around the country.

Third, we have a plan for remote learning options in order to continue coursework for students should we need to temporarily close. Lower School will use resources such as study packets and online components of our current curriculum. Middle and Upper School will use their iPads for online instruction. Please know that the principals and faculty will work with families and students to ensure that there is no educational gap. We realize that these are uncertain times, but rest assured that our main focus will be the health and welfare of your children.

Please remember that children take their emotional cues from adults. We encourage you to monitor your child’s engagement in the topic and help them understand what they are seeing or hearing to avoid anxiety. We have listed several articles below on how to talk with your child in addition to other resources.

Finally, our thoughts and prayers are with the many families around the world who have been affected by this crisis. We especially are mindful of our own families, for whom this issue may be a prominent worry or concern.

We are grateful for your continued partnership and we do not take this situation lightly. We want to assure you that we are putting unmatched efforts into prevention and preparedness and we will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19.

Stronger Together,

Steve D. Whitaker, Ph.D.
Head of School
The First Academy | 2667 Bruton Blvd. | Orlando, FL 32805
www.thefirstacademy.org | p: 407.206.8602

Additional Resources:
The World Health Organization (WHO) website

Talking With Your Child:
Child Mind: Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
New York Times: How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
USA Today: How Do You Talk to Your Children About Coronavirus?
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