Dear Parents,

We hope you and your families, far and near, are safe and well. 

Global challenges over the last few weeks, and announcements from the Singapore authorities over the last 24 hours, have reminded us that we are still in a highly volatile situation. In light of this, we have begun to review all our planned activities from now until the end of the school year, and Principals will be contacting you directly with information on any changes. We know already that exams will continue as planned; and as a priority we will be working on ensuring that our graduating class has the celebration and send-off they deserve so much, within the necessary restrictions. Please watch out for further updates.

In the meantime, we ask for your help by reading through the message below and taking action. 

While our situation is challenging, it is not unfamiliar and we have the benefit of experience. We are confident we can navigate it together, and thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Alchin, Head of UWCSEA East
Elizabeth Bray, Head of UWCSEA Dover

Travel Advisory

Recent Singapore decisions regarding travel from specific countries have reminded us that the situation is still highly unpredictable. We advise families to avoid all but essential travel over the long break, as there is no guarantee that return to Singapore will be straightforward, from any country. We have shared similar recommendations with all UWCSEA staff.

It is important that you complete travel declarations for your children. We need this information for all families as part of our planning for August, and in anticipation of requests from the authorities for information on the location and quarantine status of our community. Without this information we will not be able to plan adequately for the start of the next school year.

We appreciate a decision not to travel is very difficult, especially for those who have not seen extended family for a long time, and ultimately every family must make its own decision. However, we are advising a conservative approach. Our experience has been that those who leave Singapore while the government is advising only essential travel sometimes have challenges returning, in some cases for more than 6 months. We also know that Singapore will respond to the global situation as it arises and this may mean unexpected changes while families are out of the country. We recommend you consider all these factors when making your decision for your family.

This page can help you to stay up to date on the travel situation, remembering that conditions and restrictions on travel impact Singapore citizens, Permanent Residents and long term pass holders differently. 

The process for Student Pass holders to return to Singapore has changed since last year (the College can no longer do this for you). As always, please refer to the webpages we created for this purpose.

TraceTogether-only SafeEntry (ToS)

A reminder that the government is migrating from the use of SafeEntry to TraceTogether-only SafeEntry (ToS). They have now announced that from 17 May, G2–12 students, all staff and all visitors will only be allowed entry to campus by TraceTogether (TT) App or Token.

Please ensure you download the TT App to your mobile phone and/or collect a TT Token. Students using tokens will be issued with a white UWCSEA lanyard with a safety clip to carry the TT Token. View our arrangements here, based on current government guidance.

Temperature Taking

On school days, you are required to submit your child(ren)’s daily Covid and temperature declaration in CIMS before they arrive on campus in the morning. You can also use the ‘Temperature taking’ quick link in the UWCSEA App (available for download on the Apple or Android store; parent login details required). As always, please keep children at home if they are unwell.

Learning in August

School will resume as planned on Monday, 16 August. New students will be expected for orientation programmes towards the end of week beginning 9 August; further details will be coming soon.

At the moment we are only able to offer limited support for home-based learning for students who cannot return to campus in time for the start of school. Our learning from last year was that settling in was challenging socially and academically for many students who arrived on campus after the start of term, especially if they were new to the school. We therefore want to stress the importance of those early weeks of term as students get to know their classmates and are set up for their learning through the year. We understand that families must make the decision that is right for them, but please do keep in mind the importance of face-to-face learning at the start of the year when you are considering the option to travel, as well as the volatile nature of global travel in this current climate. 

Please also bear in mind that students who are joining two year externally examined programmes (IGCSE in Grade 9 and IBDP in Grade 11), will be covering content in the first few weeks that is part of the overall course.

Finally it is important for you to know that a limited provision for remote home learning cannot take place over an extended period of time and it may not be possible for a student to remain enrolled at the College if they are not present on campus.