Here we are, at the start of Spring Break, nearly three quarters through the school year; but it doesn’t quite have that familiar Spring Break feel to it this time around. The last few weeks and months have presented new challenges for our community, country, and the world as COVID-19 has reshaped the way we interact. It would be great if we could say that the worst is over and that everything will return to normal now. Unfortunately, the situation still remains unpredictable. On Wednesday, Tokyo Mayor Koike requested that residents avoid non-essential outings until April 12th in order to slow down the recent spike in infections. She warned that if the number of cases continues to rise sharply, Tokyo may be facing a lockdown similar to what other cities around the world have enacted. Obviously, a city-wide lockdown would have a huge impact on Tokyo schools and companies, and we truly hope that this doesn’t become necessary. For now, our only course of action is to take all the necessary health and safety precautions, monitor the situation closely, and face the changing circumstances with patience, hope, and a positive attitude. Working together, we are confident that our community will get through this ordeal and come out even stronger on the other side! As always, we thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation.
★ Reopening
The Japanese government has not yet given additional, specific guidance on whether schools should remain closed going into April. We remain hopeful that reopening the physical campus on April 6th will be possible, but we are unable to predict how the COVID-19 situation may change in the next week and what the government’s recommendation will be.
<< Point 1 >>
If the government recommends that schools remain closed, we will continue with distance learning from April 6th. We will inform families about this ASAP.
<< Point 2 >>
If the government does not recommend that schools remain closed, and if other conditions permit, KAIS International School will reopen its doors on April 6th, although with some definite and some possible changes. Please see below.
Definite Changes
● Increased COVID-19 Prevention Measures:
✔︎ daily temperature/symptom checks done from home every morning
✔︎ increased hand-washing/sanitizing
✔︎ frequent airing out of rooms
✔︎ frequent cleaning of surfaces (hand rails, door knobs, etc.)
✔︎ avoidance of large group gatherings (Monday and Friday all school announcements.)
✔︎ avoidance of non-essential visitors to KAIS
✔︎ avoidance of non-essential trips outside of school
✔︎ strict policy regarding students & staff attending school with cold/flu-like symptoms
● Athletics Cancelled
To avoid unnecessary travel and use of public transportation, Athletics practices and games have been cancelled until further notice.
Possible Changes
● Modified Arrival/Dismissal Times
Regular arrival/dismissal times may need to be adjusted to allow students and staff to avoid peak travel times. In this case, we will inform parents by Friday, April 3rd.
● All After-School Clubs Cancelled
In the case that arrival/dismissal times are modified, or if we continue with distance learning, all after-school clubs will be cancelled during the period those changes are in effect.
