Chicago, IL - March 16, 2020 - Before the Governor made the decision to close all Illinois schools, Bennett Day had already made the difficult decision to close effective end-of-day (6:00pm) on Friday, March 13. The school currently plans to be closed after that through Tuesday, March 31, and intends to open again on Wednesday, April 1. Recognizing that this is a quickly evolving situation, the school will only re-open if it is in the community's best interest. Bennett Day School's top priority is the safety and well-being of its children, faculty, and families.
There are no known cases of COVID-19 in Bennett Day School's community; the decision to close was made with a focus on mitigating the spread of the virus and to keep everyone safe. It is the school’s steadfast view that even just one child, parent, grandparent, teacher, or administrator in harm’s way is now too many.
Despite the building being closed, student learning will continue through Distance Learning.
Below is an excerpt from the email that was sent to the Bennett Day community announcing this decision:
"We want you to know that the weight of this decision is felt deeply here at school. We understand that this will have an impact on families and we will do everything in our power to support you and your children during this difficult time.
COVID-19 is an equal opportunity virus; it knows no boundaries and is without malice. This is a global pandemic that impacts us all. Now more than ever, it is incumbent upon us to lead in our community, to act towards one another and those around us with care and compassion, and to hold ourselves to the highest standard of social responsibility."
As of Monday, March 16, the building will be officially closed and after that will undergo a precautionary “terminal” cleaning which is a method used in healthcare environments to control the spread of infections. This protocol was recommended by a school public health consultant to complete prior to reopening the building as well.
Bennett Day School will be extending the end of the school year from Wednesday, June 10 to Friday, June 12 and not beyond that date.
Updates can be found on Bennett Day School's Community Health page. Contact Bennett Day School's Community Health Response team via email here.
ABOUT BENNETT DAY SCHOOL:
Bennett Day School is an independent, progressive, PreK-12th grade school in Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Our program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, where students and teachers co-construct their learning together. Our mission is to provide a collaborative culture that nurtures our innate sense of inquiry and curiosity. We are committed to advancing creativity, innovation, and the development of lifelong learners and leaders. Bennett Day School is currently accepting applications for the 2020-21 school year.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Samantha Rud
Bennett Day School
sam.rud@bennettday.org
(312)-236-6388
