Dear Parents,

Thank you once more for your patience and support during our ongoing response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Thanks to a clear and directive response from the authorities, the situation in Singapore appears to be under control, but the volatility of the global outbreak has caused continuing strain within our community. We know that while everyone is responding calmly and supportively, there may be levels of anxiety and concern that some community members are finding especially difficult. We hope you will contact us with any questions or concerns.

We write now with clarifications regarding two areas of decision-making: events and activities; and Stay-Home Notice (SHN).

Events and Activities

Our FAQs page explains the rationale for how we have decided what events and activities can go ahead, and which need to be cancelled (Question 19). As the situation evolves, our first priority is to ensure our Grade 10 and Grade 12 students can take their exams on campus as scheduled. We are therefore taking a conservative approach to activities and events on campus and are only allowing them to continue if they are restricted to our own community, we can keep the audience to a minimum and can put in place precautionary measures. We are reviewing all Term 3 events now with this in mind and taking into account advisories from the Singapore authorities. As before, we will publish our decisions on our Health Advisory site.

Stay-Home Notice (SHN)

Some parents have asked about the implications for students if a member of their family is placed on an SHN. The Singapore authorities have issued specific guidance for those who are living with someone on SHN, which states that they should ensure good hygiene practices, minimise contact with the person on SHN, but otherwise carry on as normal, including attending school. A parent on SHN is under the authority of their employer or relevant government agency and is monitored accordingly. While parents are not obliged to keep their child at home for the duration of their own SHN, should they choose to do so, we will support student learning through our online systems.

All families are asked to keep their child at home if the child displays any symptoms of being unwell. Daily temperature-checking, good hygiene practices and following guidelines from the authorities will help to keep our community safe.

We are in regular contact with other international schools in the region, and with our sister schools in the UWC movement globally, and can see firsthand the challenges that each region is facing. We are fortunate to be in Singapore where we are getting clear and pragmatic advice from the authorities. The leadership team meets daily to review our approach, understand the implications of any new advisories and make decisions on individual situations. We are keenly aware of our responsibilities to our whole community and thank you again for your support and your trust in us.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bray, Head of UWCSEA Dover
Graham Silverthorne, Head of UWCSEA East