Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

*** DATES TO REMEMBER ***

Happy Sunday!

I hope this message finds you healthy, safe, happy and well. Please the watch the 4-min video below for updates, highlights and what's next.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Upcoming Events

(Zoom links emailed to Parents)

Join Mrs. Miller for a Meet and Greet!

School is starting in just a few weeks and I am excited to get to know each of you, what you like, what fun things you are finding to do over the summer and answer any questions you may have. Zoom links emailed to parents.

School News

Dear Sea Crest Families,

It has been another week of disheartening news and, as you know, San Mateo County was put on the California monitoring list. This was something we had anticipated happening, but it still made us pause and adjust our planning for the new school year.

For the latest updates and insights, please watch the video below or click here to view the slides.

As I'm finishing up my seventh week at Sea Crest, as your Head of School, I feel completely filled with warmth and love from this welcoming community as we go through this challenging time. We know it is frustrating and there are lots of concerns, but we are diligently working to navigate these waters the best that we can. We are also committed to providing you with regular, up-to-date information as it becomes available.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

What's Next: Save the Date

Click here for a pdf version of the 2020-21 school year.
Please note that school events on the calendar may be subject to change.

Dear Sea Crest Families, 

As you know, yesterday San Mateo County was put on the monitoring list. This was something that we anticipated happening, but it still does make us pause and adjust our current planning. We will not be hosting our scheduled Town Hall this evening as planned as we want to be able to provide you with the most up-to-date and non-reactionary next steps. 

Please read Sunday Wave with our update.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Happy Sunday,

It has been another week of discouraging news of cases rising in California and schools grappling with how to connect and deliver education to our students. Contrast to what has been another week of determination, positivity and problem solving at Sea Crest as we continue to build out our planning of our ever changing scenarios.

What I want to tell you is this... we are prepared. This year is going to ask us to pivot and change to the needs of the moment AND the needs of our community. While we may be limited, there will be a wholeness to what we deliver, which is a distinctively Sea Crest education.

What do we need from you?

First, there has been tons of information this week and over the past weeks via videos. Please watch and stay up to date.

Fill out the survey below. We need this data to guide our planning and teachers. Even if we are not able to open in person, the goal is at some point we will and this data is crucial.

Survey: Which learning model are you choosing for your student(s)?

Health & Wellness Panel Discussion Recording

Dear Sea Crest Families,

Happy Sunday. What a week it has been. As you know schools have been at the forefront of the national news and while it is a fresh topic for the papers, we have been living and breathing plans for school reopening since early spring. While we don’t know what our limitations may be at the end of August, we do know that we are committed to offering a safe and high-quality program for our students and teachers. 

Launching the new school year amidst a pandemic presents a challenging situation with many valid feelings and perspectives. As a parent, you want your child to benefit from a robust, on-campus educational experience and the opportunity to interact with teachers and peers but you also want to ensure that your child stays safe. As a teacher, you miss working with your students and value the classroom learning experience but also have concerns about your personal health and safety. As an administrator, like myself, you want to keep your school community as safe as possible while also acknowledging that each day we spend away from school, students are missing valuable opportunities for in-person instruction and social development.

The challenge around school reopening is that there is no perfect answer. So how do we get it as right as we possibly can? I think the way we do it is to make sure we have strong safety protocols that protect students and teachers, that we stay current on the latest scientific research, and consistently follow the most updated guidelines of the CDC and San Mateo County Health Department. We need to continue to think differently about how we maximize space, how we structure classrooms, how we leverage our talents and human capital, and about how we can effectively reach and teach our students through distance learning. We realize that there is not a "one-size fits all" solution and we will need to create options for different students and families. If families prefer distance learning, that is an option we want to provide. If families prefer an in-person school experience, we realize many families have jobs that do not offer them a practical alternative, that is an option we want to provide.

Where we are now... The Governor has issued new guidelines for schools to follow if their county is on the watch list. Schools must move to distance learning if any of the following apply:

• your county is on the monitoring list
• your county has been off the list for less than 14 days
• there are cases of COVID-19 in multiple cohorts within your school
• at least 5% of your students and staff have tested positive within the past 14 days

At this time, none of these apply to our school. This may change in the future, but at this point, we plan on moving forward to have options available for students and families to access their learning in person on our campus or from home.

Next steps... We are committed to taking in each day's news, digesting it, and pausing to reflect and respond rather than react. We know that this year will be a wild ride and riding the wave calmly for all is a top goal.

On Thursday evening, I was blown away to speak to a group of Sea Crest parents that have volunteered their expertise to join a health and wellness committee that will help to guide us through this process. The call was inspiring, informative, and affirming. We feel so fortunate to have this amazing cross-section of parent professionals as part of our school community. There were so many moments throughout the call that I wish I was recording. Their perspectives, advice, and "real talk" helped to put me at ease. They have agreed to offer a community panel discussion next Thursday evening at 8:00 pm. We are requesting questions from you, our families, about anything and everything that is on your mind.

Health & Wellness Panel

Thursday, July 23rd, 8:00 - 9:00 pm (Via Zoom)

QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL

TEAM BIOS

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Stay Safe and Healthy,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Hi Sea Crest Families,

It has been a great week here on campus as we continue to move forward with getting our details and plans in place. I spent each morning in digital meetings with other heads from across the country and was quickly reaffirmed that Sea Crest's team is remarkable and we are well ahead of the curve in our reopening plans and communication. I was also reminded how lucky we are to be in a position to have our students split into small cohorts and have the space and resources to plan to safely return to campus in the fall.

I know that the news continues to highlight increased cases, schools and teachers grappling with reopening and much more. I completely understand the anxious feelings-I have them too. What I want to reassure you is that we are working so hard to make the best decisions each day for our students and will continue to do so.

I would encourage you to watch the video below. I interviewed Dr. Jessica Favreau, an incoming kindergarten parent and a doctor, on her thoughts and feelings around reopening and COVID. Dr. Jessica Favreau along with other parents that have relevant professional expertise have graciously offered their time and talents to support us and our school in any way they can. I will be putting together some opportunities in the coming weeks for us to have open discussions, share our concerns and ask our questions to these amazing parents. 

As always, please feel free to reach out with anything at any time, I am here for you. 

Stay safe,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Campus Reopening Updates

Greetings Sea Crest Families,

It was a wonderful week here on campus. I started my one on one meetings with the faculty and staff and with each meeting was more inspired by the heart and dedication that resonates throughout each person that chooses to have Sea Crest as their home away from home.

Thank you to all that were able to attend our Wednesday evening town hall. If you were not able to log in please see below for the recording. As mentioned in the meeting, we are excited to continue to share the next (more detailed phases) of our fall plans (see below). We will also be sharing school updates, articles and resources that we find helpful in our parents corner below.

Sincerely,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Campus Reopening Updates

School News

Dear Sea Crest Families,

Welcome to the Sunday Wave, your one-stop shop of communication for school. The Sunday Wave will be sent out every Sunday evening with important updates and information for the coming week. Please read!

Below we have our Return to Campus School Plan. I am thrilled that we are able to offer this opportunity for students and teachers to come together for connectivity, learning and fun.

The next few months will continue to challenge our society and community in unforeseen ways, Sea Crest's approach to learning is more relevant and meaningful than ever. We believe this generation of learners will engage curiosity, express creativity, act with compassion and lead with courage to tackle and shape the issues facing our society and our world.

I look forward to connecting with you soon.

Sincerely,

Lauren Miller
Head of School

Campus Reopening Updates