June 24, 2020

Dear parents,

I hope your summer is off to a healthy and restful start.

With the 2019-2020 academic year behind us, we have turned our attention fully to preparing for the fall semester. Below you will find information regarding our current plans and other academic updates.

Returning to School: We have begun the planning process for reopening Commonwealth's building in the fall, cognizant that the shifting landscape will require flexibility and care. Our aim is to operate in person as much as considerations for the safety of our students, their families, and faculty and staff permit. We expect at the very least that we will need to be running many classes in a hybrid format, with some students and teachers together in a classroom and some participating remotely. We will not only be looking at carrying on with our academic program but with all aspects of our programming (extracurricular, athletic, etc.).

We have an internal working group considering the best structure for us, and we have engaged with a consulting company, Fusion Cell, which has extensive experience managing infectious disease control in high-risk environments, including U.S. military bases around the world. We expect to have their assessment and a menu of options in early July, and in the weeks following, relying on their work and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) guidelines that will be coming out in the next month, to develop plans and protocols for operating safely.

As our options come more clearly into view, we will reach out to you for input and to work with families to develop plans that work for them. We also will be looking into the question of transportation to and from school. We expect to have plans that we'll be able to communicate in early August, with the caveat that, as conditions change, we will continue to adapt.

Academic Calendar: You will find our current 2020-2021 Academic Calendar on our website. Please note that all events are subject to change. You can direct questions to Stephanie Poynter in the front office in the interim.

Summer Reading: Students should have received their summer reading lists last week. You can review the information about summer reading found on our website.

Courses and Back-to-School Information: Course requests, back-to-school forms, textbook orders, and additional academic considerations will be shared in the coming weeks. Finalized student schedules will be sent at the end of August. Please email Acting Director of Studies Rob Sherry if you have questions about courses in the interim.

We look forward to sharing future updates as we prepare to welcome you into the Commonwealth community.

Yours,

Bill Wharton

Headmaster