From the Desk of Head of School Ned Smith
Dear EHS Family,
As of this morning, final exams are complete, and summer begins! We write today in preparation for the 2021-2022 school year. Before looking ahead, please accept our gratitude for your flexibility, resilience, and patience these last 15 months as we have navigated uncharted waters together. Thank you for your commitment to one another and to our School. And thank you for your careful and steady adherence to our health and safety protocols even as they have evolved in accordance with our understanding of the risks associated with the COVID-19 virus. As has been the case this past year, the School's leadership team will continue to make all decisions regarding our COVID policies and practices in close association with the COVID Committee (comprised of current and former trustees). Our consultants from Houston Methodist will continue to provide guidance and advice on the safe implementation of these decisions. We hope to drop all mandatory masking requirements before next school year begins. We share your excitement as we move toward more normal school operations by no longer requiring masks outdoors on campus. COVID vaccines remain optional for students and faculty. That said, the higher the rate of vaccination on campus, the more likely we can jettison the masks entirely and the more normal our lives will be. Further, vaccination status may impact quarantine for close contact, so we strongly encourage you to consider it for your child before the start of school.
Please expect regular communication from the School about COVID protocols and other issues over the course of the summer. Be on the lookout for "EHS Summer Notes" emails scheduled for the weeks ending June 11, June 25, July 9, July 23, and August 6, after which we will recommence "Weekly Windows" with the start of the new school year.
Whether you have been a part of the EHS community this past year or are joining us as a new family in August, we are excited to welcome you to what we hope and expect to be a more typical dynamic, loving, and engaging EHS experience in 2021-2022. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any other member of the School's leadership team with questions or comments.
Have a great start to the summer, and Go Knights!
Head of School |