Principal’s message for School Opening Face to Face (FTF) or Distance Learning (DL)

30 August 2020

Dear Parents and Students of Virginia International Private School,

Assalamu alaikum and welcome back to school! First and foremost, I hope that each of you are safe, healthy, had a good summer, and are ready to return to school. My colleagues and I have eagerly awaited our return to school, whether we journey together via Face to Face (FTF) or Distance Learning (DL). We, in collaboration with ADEK and the local authorities, are making sure our school is as safe as possible so our parents are secure, our children are safe, and learning is optimal. 

Additionally, I would like to thank you all, our parents and students, for your partnership throughout last year. Your collaborative efforts, feedback, patience, and understanding have helped us to continuously keep our children’s learning at the center of all we do. Our progress and success has been evidenced in our stakeholder surveys, our Distance Learning Evaluation in which we were judged to be “developed” with 13 out of 13 performance standards and, most notably, in our improved student outcomes. May we continue to go from strength to strength in our school improvement journey. 

I would like to reiterate, especially in light of the changes in education and society, you have all the information needed to ensure your child(ren) are able to attend school in a safe, structured, sensible, and strategic learning environment. I am confident that you are aware of the “Hybrid Model” learning program that we are implementing at the start of this academic year. Reopening Model.
Should you have any questions about our hybrid model learning program or its particulars – i.e. Face to Face (FTF) learning, Distance Learning (DL), Alternating days, etc. – please contact us accordingly. Other key documents to start our year are:

• Parent’s Guide to Schools Reopening 
• Reopening FAQS For Schools 
• Private Schools Reopening Policies and Guidelines 
• ADEK Survey Results – VIPS
• VIPS Distance Learning Evaluation (DLE) Report

I would like to ask that we, all stakeholders, embark on this year’s school journey as partners who practice and uphold our school’s values (respect, creativity, collaboration, responsibility, honesty, empathy, innovation), the three key health and safety pillars (social distancing, protective equipment, and hygiene), and communicate effectively so our children progress as well as possible in their school journey this year. 

Lastly, my colleagues and I look forward to meeting you, our parents, virtually and our students in the class – whether FTF or via DL. We will soon be inviting you, our parents, to join us online for information sessions. Until then, if you have any questions or need further information, kindly contact us accordingly. 

Kind regards and stay safe.