March 23, 2020
Dear Visitation School Families,
Welcome back from our extended break and to distance learning which begins March 25. These are extraordinary times -- a new experience, a new journey for all of us. Like any journey, at first, it may feel challenging, overwhelming and so very different. It will take a few days to settle in and get used to our new normal and our new routine.
As a Visitation school community, we have a successful history of embarking into the unknown. Our very own Visitation Sisters did so in 1873, when they journeyed up the Mississippi River from St. Louis to begin a new school. I imagine the feelings they had were similar to the feelings many of us are having right now: concern for what lay ahead and probably some sadness. Yet, they also had great faith in their foundation, joyful optimism and courage. Students, today, I call upon all of you to go forward into this new journey with confidence in your teachers and yourself, great faith in your foundation and with unbridled courage knowing that all of us at Visitation School believe in you. We care for you. And we are confident that you can embrace this challenge.
During this time, we continue to be available to our families and offer social and emotional learning support and provide mental health support. Our counselors and learning specialists will be available as will our school nurse. Dr. Jules Nolan, school psychologist, will be offering weekly virtual parenting information sessions on Thursdays at 3 p.m. Visit our website for details on these sessions. Visitation School is committed to each student, regardless whether we are in the building or outside of the building. Our faculty and staff contact information remains the same and we will be in regular conversation with you. We will rely on our deep connections with each other, now more than ever, and draw strength from our relationships.
I am grateful for our faculty and staff as they prepare and solidify quality distance-learning plans and I am abundantly grateful to all of you, our Vis community. Your patience, understanding and flexibility during these unprecedented times is remarkable. We ask for your continued patience and flexibility as we navigate distance learning together. These changes will impact each family in a variety of ways, I invite you to submit prayer requests or special intentions to be shared with our Sisters and our broader community.
A virtual Visitation education is still dedicated to educating the hearts and minds of each student with great love. We are a strong community and we will only get stronger from this experience. We are here to support our students and our community in our longstanding mission to prepare students--not for school, but for life.
Sincerely,
Rene Gavic
Head of School
Previous COVID-19 Communication
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