February 28, 2020

Dear Members of the Woodlynde School Community,

As the news regarding the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve, I want to reassure you that Woodlynde School is working closely with the Chester County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to monitor COVID-19 conditions.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person just like the flu or a cold through the air by coughing or sneezing; through close personal contact, like touching or shaking hands; by touching an object or surface with the viruses on it; and occasionally, through fecal contamination. Please know that as of this writing, there are no cases of COVID-19 in Chester County or Pennsylvania. We will continue to work with the Chester County Health Department to vigilantly monitor any new developments.

Our priority is the health and well-being of our students and colleagues, with procedures in place to minimize the spread of illness to our community.  We have implemented a pro-active approach to cleaning the school, and posters from the CDC on handwashing and limiting the spread of germs are being posted throughout the school. In addition, this Monday, School Nurse Megan Scheri will visit the Lower School classrooms and address Middle and Upper School students at assembly to review the importance of hand washing and respiratory etiquette; we ask that you reinforce the same at home.

We advise everyone in our community – students, staff, and families – to follow the same practices that help prevent the spread of the flu and other illnesses:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners that are at least 60-95% alcohol are effective.

  • Cover your coughs and sneezes. The main way that the flu and COVID-19 spreads is from person to person in the droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it is important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or cough/sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.

  • Do not to share personal items such as drinks, food, or utensils.

  • Do not attend school if you are sick. Any student or staff member who is determined to be sick while at school will be immediately sent home.

  • Keep sick individuals at home for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
If you have concerns about any illness for your child or yourself, please immediately contact your health care provider. For more information on COVID-19, you may go to Chester County Health Department’s website at https://www.chesco.org/4376/2019-Novel-Coronavirus, or you can visit CDC: Coronavirus Prevention & Treatment.

As we monitor any new developments, we will continue to evaluate our steps and actions daily. We are thinking ahead and reviewing plans that address potential impacts on the school day, school trips, and other activities.  The Leadership Team will be meeting next week to discuss our plans for conducting school should a disruption of business-as-usual become a necessity. As of now, there are no plans to change our daily routines, but we will communicate any changes as soon as they arise. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or send me an email, but please also continue to look for further communications to the Woodlynde community. As always, the well-being of our students and colleagues is our focus and priority.

Sincerely,
Amy

Amy L. Clemons, Head of School 
clemons@woodlynde.org | 610-293-6630
Back
Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergartenelementarymiddle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.