February 10, 2022
from Dr. Bill Hudson, Head of School
“This is going to be bad. Really bad,” I said to myself as I listened to a podcast on my drive home from school late one night two years ago. It was in early January that a colleague of mine who works with international students first told me about an outbreak of new flu virus occurring in China, but the details were sketchy. I was desperate to learn more and somehow came across a podcast that went into great detail about the seriousness of the new strain—and I was deeply concerned. And scared, if I am honest. There was a lot I did not know two years ago but I knew the strength of our community.
It is hard to believe it has now been two years and yet it seems like just yesterday. I could only imagine then the implications of the pandemic and its effect on all our lives. It has taken an academic, social, and emotional toll on our community and yet we have persevered and deepened our resiliency. I am proud of our students and grateful for the trust and partnership of parents.
It now appears that Omicron variant cases are on a downward trend, corresponding with our own MPA community case incidence. I am proud that we have achieved an overall vaccination rate of 95% of all those eligible. With this in mind, you are most likely aware that the administrative team has created a plan to thoughtfully begin to roll back several of our health and safety measures over the next several weeks. Click here for details.
Many scientists, doctors, and public health officials are beginning to shift their frame of reference from pandemic to endemic. This doesn’t mean, however, that risk of infection or new variants goes away. Rather our focus can now shift to managing risk and we can take advantage of this moment in time. Masking is still one of the most effective measures and will continue to be a cornerstone of our mitigation strategy for the time being.
We will remain vigilant in the event of the emergence of a new variant or another surge and nimble in our ability to respond. It is incumbent that we carefully calibrate our experience to local conditions and leverage the tools we have to manage the ebb and flow of the virus. We may not know what’s next but we know have a successful track record and experience to be prepared.
Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our community. Together, we have successfully navigated the pandemic and together we will chart a new course whatever lies ahead.
Thank you for your support and partnership.
