Upper School

Message from the Upper School Principal

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful to see so many Upper School parents join Mr. Zurfluh’s Facebook Live Town Hall meetings last week. I hope you are able to join again this evening at 19:00. Mrs. Berntson, Mr. Kryger, and I will once again be online as well, watching with you, so we can help answer the questions you ask in the group chat.

I would like to thank the many grade 12 parents who attended the virtual meeting this past Monday evening. There were many questions about the IB Diploma Programme, specifically about how the IBO will determine the overall grades now that the May examination session has been cancelled. We also fielded questions about end-of-year events, such as the seniors’ last day on April 17 and the graduation ceremony on May 30. Without knowing how long the closure will last, it is difficult to say what we will do. However, as I told the parents, we are thinking quite a bit about contingency plans, and we’ll share those as soon as we know what our calendar will look like.

Many of you are probably wondering whether we will have additional parent meetings for divisions or grade levels. At this time, we think it’s best to funnel everyone toward Mr. Zurfluh’s Town Hall meetings and other communications that are being sent to you. However, if the need arises, we will certainly consider setting up our own virtual parent meetings.

I want to let you know that this morning in Advisory our Upper School students took a survey that was created by the counseling and administrative teams. We asked a number of easy-to-answer questions covering a variety of topics, including social, emotional, and physical health, support systems, engagement in virtual school, and levels of homework. We will have some rich data to dig into, starting today, that will help us address the concerns and questions raised by the students.

Finally, please let me know if there is anything we can help with. These are tense and trying times filled with so much uncertainty and emotion. We want to help in any way possible, so please reach out.

Upper School Counseling Events & Announcements

Drop-in Sessions with the Middle School Counselors

In light of the current situation, we will be running online drop-in sessions for parents every other Friday throughout the duration of social isolation protocols. Each session will be themed around a main topic, and be run in both English and Polish.

Counselor Online Drop-In Session #1 (Grades 6-9) Friday, April 3rd
English session: 9:30 - 10:30
Topic: Maintaining Mental Health During Trying Times
To join the Zoom meeting, go here: https://zoom.us/j/742850999?pwd=bkdEMStRYndvbm9kZVpJZmZEYmUwQT09 Meeting ID: 742 850 999, Password: 063553

W świetle zaistniałej sytuacji, chcemy poprowadzić sesje otwarte dla rodziców w co drugi piątek podczas trwania izolacji społecznej. Każda sesja będzie miała główny temat i będą osobne sesje po angielsku i po polsku.

Sesja #1 Otwarta z Szkolnymi Counselors (Klasy 6-9) Piątek, 3 kwietnia
Sesja polska: 11:00-12:00
Temat: Dbanie o Zdrowie Psychiczne w Obliczu Trudnych Czasów
Dołącz do spotkania Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/234997256?pwd=c1dqY2RieWdZdzFUcUZ2YS9qSHV6UT09 Spotkanie ID: 234 997 256, Hasło: 069243

Virtual School Tips #3 to Staying Healthy

Check out this April 2020 Active Coping Calendar. Get your self-care started today!
Talk about your worries. Remember, it is a difficult time for everyone, and sharing how you are feeling and the things you are doing to cope as a family can be beneficial for all members.
Keep your immune system strong by getting adequate sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
Manage your media and information intake. The 24-hour news and constant social media updates can make you feel more worried. It may help to only check the news at set times or limit yourself to a couple of checks a day.
Do something nice for someone. Kind acts are scientifically shown to boost serotonin (the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of satisfaction and well-being). This reduces stress and anxiety. Additionally, kind acts strengthen the chemical balance of the heart by releasing oxytocin (also known as the cuddle hormone), which increases both emotional and physical health.

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