As such, almost all courses will be blended to some degree, with students learning in real time and instruction delivered both directly and via technology throughout the semester. Above all, working and learning in company strengthens the deep human connections we prize at William & Mary.With these values in mind, we have much work to do to assess the adaptations to campus and curriculum that will be needed next year. 'I am proud': An open letter from teachers to students after 23 Messages Of Hope From Communities Affected By The Coronavirus Outbreak 23 Inspiring Signs Of Hope During The Coronavirus Outbreak As businesses shutter and residents continue to distance themselves from their neighbors, messages of hope and solidarity are springing up in unusual places. We must remain vigilant so that we can move quickly to identify positive cases and potential exposures. Be well,Amy SebringVice President for Finance and Technology. Following CDC and Virginia Health Department guidelines for living together under pandemic conditions will bring unique challenges, such as mask wearing, physical distancing and many more adaptations to how we work and learn together. What is the least-visited state park in Texas? Kimberley Gorelik on March 27, 2020 If your students can't hear you correct their grammar, are you even teaching? Remember, if you do test positive for COVID-19, through William & Marys testing regimen or an outside provider, you must respondimmediatelyto any outreach from the university and visitReportCOVID.wm.eduto be assigned a case manager to assist in transitioning work and study while isolating. Additionally, we will have the capability of scheduling meetings with students remotely via phone or Zoom. These SEL Lessons Inspired by Dogs Are What Kids Need Right Now. As previously noted, we strongly advise all students to physically leave campus if they can. In-person classes are suspended for this coming week to allow faculty and staff to modify delivery of their curriculum. Teacher motivation is vital - and COVID-19 may be hurting it High School Musical Tickets On Sale Now. So I ask that you hold close our core values of belonging and respect. COVID-19 testing for those employees required to show negative tests before return to campus will continue as scheduled. Not all courses will be available in a fully remote format, so students should seek academic guidance in advance to be sure selected courses support the students progress toward their degree/major. I am honored to succeed Sam in that role while also chairing W&Ms Public Health Advisory Team and serving as the universitys chief operating officer. This is an incredibly challenging time. If so, you will be notified by email and will be given instructions for making a testing appointment. I am confident that will be the case in the coming days and weeks. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to visit our website for a full listing of our departments to help in your success., In the days and weeks ahead, stay connected with us and with one another. Find Life & Wellbeing resources on We Are Teachers - Page 1 of 35. And please download the W&M Wellness App to stay current on all events and resources., While William & Mary is operating on a modified academic schedule, all the departments of the Dean of Students Office are available via phone (757) 221-2510 and email. Connect with your friends in small groups, outside (where the ventilation is good), and with masks on. It is clear that we must defer the planned ceremony on May 16. Service is one of the universitys core values, and we have seen that in action throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. "Don . should reach out to the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Our Wonderful Students: I hope this message finds you and all you love doing well. Barnes & Noble, through VitalSource, has made arrangements for students to have free access to eTextbooks. It is critical that you bring your room key and ID card to access your residence hall. Your questions are helping us immensely as we strive to be clear and responsive during this global crisis. "For me it was a massive morale booster to meet lots of dogs and cats." Teachers say there has been a collective spirit among staff Glad to be back If there's something children have learnt from. "I was so happy when I saw it. Here are three examples: "When I introduce an assignment, I allow students to choose a breakout room. You spend a little time learning what it's like to live in someone else's shoes." Country Living. Above all, be assured that your alma mater is committed to your well-being, and to offering an educational experience that enables you to do your best work while sustaining momentum to your degree. There are many ways to help ensure the integrity of the learning and assessment processes. our actionswillbe swift anddirectfor those who arent following theguidelineswe have in place. The memories of their smiles, stories, and antics bring me joy in rough times. From teaching inspiration to ideas for staying healthy and avoiding burnout, here you'll find a place to laugh, vent, and get reinvigorated to teach. As I said in last weeks Town Hall, W&M students bring a special and very powerful commitment to building community. Residence Life staff will be unable to respond to lockout requests. We need everyone to be on board with masks, physical distancing and our other preventive measures and with re-imagining social life in creative ways, consistent with those measures. Im with you, I miss you and I just really wanted to finish this year out, she wrote on them. Do not gather socially in larger groups in your residence halls, across campus or in locations in the community. For those for whom this is not a realistic option, you are welcome on campus as detailed below. We must continue these measures with increased vigilance. Thanks to each of you for your creativity, understanding and commitment to this shared effort. Glue/tape recycled things together to make a sculpture. Since early August we have seen that the vast majority of students, faculty and staff are fully committed to doing what is required to safeguard one another. It is critical that you avoid interactions with others, maintaining at least 6 feet of physical distance and wearing your face covering. Symptomatic individuals awaiting test results will need to self-quarantine, rather than remain in their assigned residence halls. We need to turn these rules of behavior into habits of behavior. On April 28, a video was shared on YouTube featuring the principal, teachers and staff members of the Van Holten Primary School. Degree-seeking academic juniors and seniors may elect Pass/Fail grading for up to two normally-graded courses; academic freshmen and sophomores may elect to take one normally-graded course on a Pass/Fail basis this semester. Please note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires COVID-19 laboratories to provide certain medical information on individuals taking tests. When we experience emotions like sadness and anxiety, research suggests that expressing them through visual and performing arts is one of the most effective ways to address them. They become our families each year and we love them fiercely, even when they cant follow through or act out or dont do the work. While many students are complying with the rules and regulations set forth in our Healthy Together Community Commitment,too many are not. See the student FAQ section at www.wm.edu/coronavirus for additional details. So low in fact (under 10 in the respective categories for students and employees), that providing them would compromise the privacy of those individuals who tested positive and who are not currently on campus. I just really miss them. Cory L. I hope you are all safe and healthy. In order to ensure due process for students who are reported to have violated the Healthy Together Commitment, all COVID-related matters will be addressed via Administrative Resolution by the Community Values and Restorative Practices (CVRP. No one may accompany you into the building. Please reach out to the graduating students around you and support them. I write to share updates on telework (below) as well as additional details now on our website about fall planning, including: W&M is part of an active effort to partner with the Commonwealth on a testing network anchored in our three VA university medical centers: VCU, UVA, and VT. Our testing and other public health protocols are based on ongoing epidemiological modeling with those centers. Students will have an opportunity to review and affirm the Healthy Together Community Commitment through the Personal Information Questionnaire that is being deployed today. All have agreed explicitly to our guidelines as a condition of learning or employment: masking and physical distancing, hygiene, participation in testing and contact-tracing, self-quarantine and isolation and staying home when sick. Take care of yourself and know your limits Teaching can be an extremely stressful profession, particularly now. He will communicate separately with employees next week. We ask the community to be aware that the public health context and VA directives will continue to change in the coming weeks. The Emergency Management Team will share additional details and guidance related to that action later today; please stay alert for that and please check our growing FAQ daily. Because safeguarding the health of our community is a central concern, we (in consultation with our VCU Health System partners) considered several options to meet these different requirements. For employees who do not have computer access, we will work with supervisors to make the training available to you. Our largest expenditures are on salaries for the faculty and staff who support teaching, learning, researchand our varied university operations, from student financial aid specialists, to career services, to facilities. And we can do this together. Our community has generously given to the university through our, Academic Advising has helpful tips on their website. "You are only confined by the walls you build yourself." Andrew Murphy. Words of Encouragement | Sacred Heart University Outdoor spaces: face coverings may be removed only when an uninterrupted 6 distance can be maintained between you and other individuals for the continuous duration of an activity. But amidst the pain I write to sketch broadly the projected financial outlook for William & Mary as we understand it at present and outline the steps we are taking to support the extraordinary students, faculty, staff, alumni andparentswho sustain the universitys mission. All students who alerted us should be contacted by the end of the day. Anxiety, by far, was the most frequently mentioned emotion. What are your favorite quotes or words of encouragement that have helped you during the Covid-19 pandemic? Questions About COVID-19 Response. As the Commencement Committee affirmed, such celebrations should be joyful and different they should not simply replicate the in-person events to come in October. Testing is a critical part of the commitment we make to mitigate risks associated with COVID-19. If you, yourself, are a dorm resident who is having difficulty with your plan for moving out by Wednesday and you have not notified the Dean of Students Office, please do so right away by clicking here. A total of 1,717 COVID-19 cases were reported in Massachusetts schools in the last week. Make life something you. Set the table and do the dishes. Students will receive a window of time during which they can log on and select a check-in appointment. At W&M, faculty and staff in partnership with student affairs and with student leaders can build upon the very qualities that set W&M apart. Its important to remember that W&M does not control the surrounding public health context; decisions by the federal government and by Virginias leadership will frame the universitys options in the months ahead. Their"Message to Our Van Holten Huskies" included sweet photo and video messages, some song and dance and plenty of colorful signs and chalk artwork assuring students that they are missed and supported and that this challenging time won't last forever. Additionally, if you do not have WiFi connectivity or access to the internet and currently have a cellular phone, you may want to contact your carrier to determine if your phone has the ability to serve as a mobile hotspot. In order to provide restorative breaks while remaining vigilant about the spread of COVID-19, we will offer individual spring break days in 2021, rather than a consecutive, five-day break. They are merely waiting in the wings until its safe enough to be back in the classroom. Thank you all for working so hard to protect your own health and that of the community this semester. The greatest weapon we can have today is guarding ourselves with faith and prayer. As we transition into the new school year, the task for educators in the coming weeks and months is to help children reflect, refocus, and move forward. All invited speakers must present in a virtual format, whether invited for university-wide presentations or at invitation of professional and graduate schools, departments, professors or student groups. -- Ed. While students majoring in health sciences and/or people with medical experience are preferred, opportunities are available for anyone willing to serve. This too shall pass. Any unused Dining Dollars from fall meal plans will roll forward for students who retain a spring meal plan; for students who do not maintain a spring meal plan, unused Dining Dollars will expire on November 25, 2020. Students who need accessibility accommodations to fully participate in the fall semester campus housing, curricular offerings, etc. These figures stem from lost revenue (study abroad, summer programs, athletics, housing, diningand parking) and new, unanticipated expenses (for software and technology needed to move learning to remote delivery, facilitate faculty and staff working at a distance, increased costs related to facilities cleaning and supplies, as well as emergency support for students in need). Employees who move throughout buildings, including private office spaces, to perform their work (e.g. Even in distress, so many of you have taken the time to send a kind note to a faculty member, staff member, student leader, or administrator. Those habits will be the key to a successful in-person fall semester at W&M. The entire faculty Provost, deans, department chairs and faculty members quickly moved more than 2,000 classes to distance learning, ensuring that teaching remains vibrant despite a mid-semester interruption and that our students remain the focus. Residence halls will not reopen this semester. A lot of my students arent able to get online to be able to get the internet to do the stuff, she added. Students do not need to surrender their parking decals to receive the rebate. We make these decisions in conjunction with the advice of local health authorities, recognizing that the Peninsula Health District, in which our main campus resides, has a dense concentration of positive COVID-19 test results now including individuals on our campus. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on nearly all aspects of life. I hope your semester is going well and that you and your family are healthy and safe. While we are apart, learn with your familylearn some family history with a photo album, go on a nature hike and appreciate the world outside together, read with a family member. Kristen W. Being home means school time is a lot shorter. Heres what they said: Out of the hundreds of teachers who told us what they wanted students to know, 100% started by saying they miss them. You bring me more joy and happiness than any of you can imagine, and I hope we are together again soon. Justin M. The whole purpose of this quarantine time is to keep as many of us safe and healthy as possible. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government closed all New York City public schools last week. Please feel . Students moving to Richmond Hall should prepare personal items, books, laptop, phone, chargers, prescriptions and clothing to last approximately 14 days. Our plan is for 5% of the student population and 2% of employees to be tested every two weeks throughout the semester, pulled from the local and on-campus population. "My eyes hurt, my back hurts, my hands/wrists hurt from constantly typing, I get frequent headaches that can only be minimized by taking a nap, I have mom guilt." Megan is one of many teachers across the United States who are facing a new set of challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers hope students create art in any way that matters to them. Thus, I write to share decisions regarding the universitys operations for the remainder of the semester. We must be attentive to the changed circumstances of families and organizations in Virginia and around the world. School principal shares encouraging coronavirus-related - ABC News I am deeply grateful to them for their tireless and resourceful partnership. Since January of this year, W&M has been monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and actively responding, in close consultation with public health experts, the VA Department of Health and our peers. With the above in mind, I am writing today with updates about the Spring 2021 academic calendar. That is all. On Tuesday, July 28, Gov. August 18 Add/Drop is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. I wish you all the best as you finish your classes and exams and prepare for a well-deserved break in just a few weeks. We are here for you. Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1, at 12 p.m. We track the Virginia Department of Health guidelines daily.Bringing our campus back together safely is an enormous task and also a hopeful one because it is a key step in the path forward to a post-COVID-19 William & Mary. Some students and faculty may elect simply to unplug and rest on these days; others will want to participate in a variety of recreational, social, wellness and service opportunities that will be announced later. As in the fall semester, students, faculty and staff who work closely with others will need to self-quarantine for eight days before returning to in-person activities on campus. Further details may be found below. 8 ways teachers can support students' mental health during COVID-19 Coronavirus Thank-you Notes from the BU Community Looking forward, the Plan Ahead initiative will allow us to pivot to a post-pandemic future in a way that both capitalizes on lessons learned and makes W&M more nimble.Normally, during this part of the academic year, we have the opportunity to acknowledge those who are graduating, being promoted or awarded tenure, and those who are retiring. In this newly technological world, people are beginning to emphasize the importance of students' mental health and wellb eing, as well as that of educators alike. By diligently adhering to the practices of physical distancing, good hand and personal environment hygiene, appropriate mask wearing, daily monitoring of symptoms as well as testing, quarantine if warranted, and isolation of individuals who test positive for the coronavirus we can significantly reduce the risk of spreading the virus through on-campus activities. That plan reflected the work of five Plan Ahead squads composed of campus experts faculty, staff, students, administrators. If possible remove all of your belongings at this time and complete the online check out process. As we gain clarity, we will keep our community informed on our Commencement website. Through education and regular public health messaging across campus, we will reinforce that everyone must follow the guidelines for mitigating risk during this time of pandemic, including mask wearing, physical distancing and handwashing. Today, Virginia Gov. 11-year-old Aaron. An archive of messages sent to William & Mary students about the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please continue to save September 25-27, 2020, on your calendar and expect to receive more details regarding a schedule of virtual events via email, social media and our website as the summer progresses. Supervisors on the main campus and VIMS campus will be communicating with employees this week, confirming that they will be working on campus, remotely or in a blended fashion as students begin returning to campus, as well as schedules for those modes of work. Inspirational Quotes During Coronavirus That Will Lift Your Spirits It made my day," one third grade student wrote to him in an email. It seemed so specialI miss you so much. As the semester winds down, I write to share my gratitude for your steadfast and creative efforts over the past nine months of pandemic. Though the University of Texas has thousands of students, professors are hoping to give students some of the closure they will miss. Teachers' Mental Health Has Suffered in the Pandemic. Here's How Marjorie Thomas, Dean of StudentsMark Hofer, Director of the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation. Because children look to their parents for signs of safety, parents may need to put more effort into expressing confidence and security with words and body language in addition to facial expressions. As COVID-19 cases rose sharply in Williamsburg this week, I shared the wrenching news that we would need to close dorms and find the students still on campus places to stay where they can more safely self-quarantine. It is imperative that we all hold ourselves accountable for keeping our campus and neighbors safe: For those unwilling to follow the necessary health and safety protocols, it is important to be clear that there will be consequences for violations. Student Affairs is finalizing a process to consider exceptions for students who have compelling personal circumstances for returning to campus as part of the initial group in August. That was the emotional visual trigger for what we were missing too, she explained. , Get to know our book expert, Ciera Pasturel, Heres why your car looks disgusting today. The COVID-19 pandemic creates a unique challenge for our students, their families, faculty and staff as we strive to meet our educational mission. With students due to return from spring break and reports of presumptive cases in our region, we are taking further steps to ensure we meet these goals. That I am thinking of them and missing them daily. Our ability to advance W&Ms mission during this pandemic will require each of us, without exception faculty, staff and students to comply with all COVID-related health and safety rules as articulated by university leadership generally, and the COVID-19 Planning Team in particular. One aspect of our being able to reconvene this fall with health and safety foremost in mind is agreeing on best practices, and then committing to them, through the Healthy Together Community Commitment. This is not the spring semester any of us could have envisioned. For many of us as individuals, there will be disappointments and frustrations. Note: Students are limited to registering for 16 credits until add/drop begins. William & Marys Public Health Advisory Team and the COVID-19 Response Team continue to closely follow local, regional, state and national developments during the pandemic. May the holidays bring respite, companionship, and joy that we have reached this season together. If your students cant hear you correct their grammar, are you even teaching? You can also access Kids Help Phone's e-mental health services 24/7 for support. Symptomatic students may be tested and treated through the Student Health Center. We are working to identify and support any students who might have equipment, connectivity or other assistance needs in accessing online instruction. "I was so happy when I saw it. Over the past weeks and through next year, we strive to flatten the curve of the financial impact on W&M, our faculty, students and families, staffand region. Graduate students residing in university housing. If you are sick or symptomatic when you are randomly selected, please contact the Student Health Center for evaluation and further instructions; do not make an appointment for prevalence testing if you are ill. Should a student test positive for COVID-19, they will be contacted by the Student Health Center. So I hope you will consider renewing your annual support for the areas of the university where you traditionally give. Please review the updates that include information about PPE, plans for symptom tracking and testing, hygiene practices and disinfecting protocols, face covering requirements and adaptations for both classroom and co-curricular spaces, including dining and residence halls. Starting tomorrow, March 12, through April 3, we will implement interim policies for events and travel. All of our lives have been upended by COVID-19 and we will all be balancing competing demands for some time to come. We hope this information proves helpful and comforting. Show thanks for teachers working even harder during COVID pandemic We remain committed to the four goals shared last week and will continue to support those students who are unable to leave campus. I hope you lift people up. Wishing each of you health and happiness. Amy SebringVice President for Finance and Technology. You can find details of our meeting here. While the series is mandatory, the COVID-19 Response Team hopes you will find the videos informative and reinforcing of the promises weve made to one another as community members through the Healthy Together Community Commitment. By Friday, we will provide additional guidance on planning underway to support students, families, staff and faculty. Because of health concerns and regulations, Richards couldnt return to teaching her students in person. As teachers we encourage our people to remain at home, minimize movements and maintain social distance. AUSTIN (KXAN) COVID-19 has shuttered many parts of daily life for a lot of people, including what teachers describe to KXAN as the value of meeting with them in person. William & Mary will cover the cost of a voluntary test for students and employees who wish to be tested prior to returning home for the Thanksgiving holiday. For Uniform purchases, please go to our Uniform Shop page. Participating in prevalence testing is a condition to which we have agreed in order to work, study or receive on-campus services at William & Mary under the Healthy Together Community Commitment. ; Do not travel We know our graduates and families want to be able to gather freely, in large numbers for everything from the Candlelight Ceremony and Walk Across Campus, to our formal exercises themselves. Below I share the additional details and guidance promised earlier today in the message you received from President Rowe and me related to directives from the Governors Office. You can sign up to volunteer on the Virginia Volunteer Health System website. These tests are administered at no cost to you.

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