Dear Mount Madonna School Community,
Mount Madonna prioritizes the safety of our school and extended community. The school’s COVID-19 policies, protocols, and procedures are in compliance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for Preparing for a Safe Return to School, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines COVID-19 INDUSTRY GUIDANCE: Schools and School-Based Programs, the California Department of Education (CDE) guidelines Stronger Together, and the Reopening Framework for Santa Cruz County Schools, Restore. We are collaborating with the Santa Cruz Health Services Agency and consulting with physicians, an infectious disease scientist and an MMS alumnus, and safety experts to prioritize and protect our school community’s health by implementing multiple strategies to mitigate COVID-19. The school is committed to being flexible and nimble, and as such, our policies, protocol, and procedures might adjust throughout the year to reflect the current scientific findings and best-accepted practices.
On July 10, 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement supporting schools to safely reopen for in-person instruction. Schools play an instrumental role in developing the intellect and academic skills of children. Equally important is the fundamental role that schools play in the well-being of children and their social and emotional development.
Mount Madonna School strives to provide a safe and supportive environment, and we are in an unparalleled position to continue offering an innovative, in-person educational experience from dynamic and caring educators.
- We offer small student-to-teacher ratios in all grade levels across the school.
- We are situated on 375-acres of groves of coastal redwoods and live oaks, mountain meadows, chaparral and ponds.
- Educators and students will have the choice and flexibility in where they teach and learn. We have dedicated indoor and outdoor classrooms for each grade level and spacious open-air corridors. Like indoor classrooms, our outdoor classrooms will be furnished and equipped with shade structures, whiteboards, Wi-Fi technology, and data projectors. The school is also investing in new high-quality learning spaces such as our outdoor amphitheater.
As a school community, we will remain focused on the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and community. We have worked to cultivate a trusting and transparent relationship within our community. Regardless of how much time and effort put into our school reopening plan, in order for this plan to be successful, everyone in our community must understand their role and responsibility in keeping each other safe. We trust that families will educate their children on:
- how to properly wear face coverings and will reinforce this practice outside the home,
- the importance of physical distancing when outside the home, and
- practicing healthy hygiene habits, such as hand-washing for 20 seconds.
Most importantly, we trust that families will communicate with the school around issues of testing, exposure, and quarantine.
Thank you,
Ann Goewert
Head of School
