Dear Parents,
I trust that you have been keeping safe and healthy as you weather the Covid-19 outbreak. I am pleased to report that HFS is planning on reopening the school on Monday 23 March unless circumstances force us to do otherwise. Based on the most current data and information tracking the progress of the Covid-19 outbreak and following the instructions set forth by the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education, the current school closure will be extended only until 20 March.
To account for this extended week of closure we will draw from the Summer break as mentioned in the newsletter of Friday 28 February. This means that the last day of Term 3 will shift from Friday 26 June to Friday 3 July. The start date for Term 1 of the 2020/21 academic year will remain unchanged. Please click here for the revised and updated 2019/20 academic calendar and Term 2/3 planner.
We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this disruption due to the situation that has been forced upon us. This solution is the most effective way of ensuring that we meet the required number of teaching days for the academic year while also allowing time for the crisis to pass.
To make up for the lost teaching day of Monday 24 February, both the last days of Term 2 and Term 3 that were scheduled to be half-days will now be full teaching days.
HFS Safety Measures and Procedures Upon Reopening on Monday 23 March
While the school will reopen as per normal on Monday 23 March we will still be strictly enforcing the following safety and hygiene protocols to ensure that HFS remains a safe and healthy environment for your children.
The school bus will operate as normal with each student given drops of hand sanitizer as they board. HHI will conduct fumigations of the bus in the mornings before the students board and once they get off in the afternoons.
Hanmaeum center will be closed until further notice minimizing contact between students and members of the public. HFS will enforce its own procedures of sanitizing stair railings, elevator railings and buttons and other public points of contact at multiple times throughout the day.
HFS strongly encourages all persons to wear protective face masks and as such will provide students with one face mask each on Monday 23 March. Students will be responsible for their face masks which will be labeled with their names. Due to the shortage of face masks any further masks required by students must be provided by parents.
HFS will increase the temperature checks to two times per day – in the morning during registration and again during lunch break before going out to the field. If a student is seen to have a consistent temperature reading of above 37.5 Degrees Celsius, parents will be notified to collect them from the school.
Teachers will spend time in class ensuring all students are aware of the best methods of practicing good hygiene, from washing of hands thoroughly and frequently, avoiding touching one’s face and being wary of coming in to contact with infected surfaces and also taking careful steps when coughing and sneezing to ensure the wellbeing of those around them.
I would like to remind parents that the Covid-19 virus, while highly contagious, is also mild in most cases and treatable. Should you or any of your family show signs of infection please call the helpline on 1339, follow their instructions and inform the school immediately.
With these measures in place I am confident that HFS will continue to operate as a safe and secure place of learning and I look forward to seeing the students at school on Monday 23 March.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding during this challenging time.
Mr. Kearney