March 20, 2020

Dear Trinity-Pawling Community,

In this unprecedented time, we are all too aware of how rapidly the COVID-19 landscape is changing our lives. As more and more cases are reported across the country, the focus of public health policy is shifting to slowing the spread of the disease and lowering the concentration of cases. The CDC, the U.S President, the Governor of New York, and state and county agencies have issued orders restricting many activities, including large gatherings. While no case has been reported on our campus, we cannot responsibly resume our boarding program – it would be impossible for Trinity-Pawling to ensure our high standard of care – in light of the current situation and in the interest of student safety. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to conduct the entire Spring Term with remote learning.

Our faculty and staff have been preparing to resume classes on April 1, 2020 through a remote platform – this will continue as planned. With the extension of remote learning through the end of the academic year, we have the added issue of making sure belongings, critical to students' academic work, are returned as soon and as safely as possible. Please visit this website page for more details related to students' essential academic items and their return. In the coming weeks, the School will further communicate about the return and/or storage of other non-academic related belongings in each dormitory room. The School appreciates your patience and understanding with this process.

It is understandable that you will have many questions, therefore we have created a location in our Parent Portal for you to submit general inquiries related to the changes we have implemented. We have also created several teams ready to assist students and parents in this transition. These teams include Remote Learning Support, Student-Parent Communication, Dormitory and Belongings, Business Office Related Questions, and College Guidance and they will reply to your questions by email or phone, as you prefer. Additionally, we have tried to anticipate questions that may arise and have posted an evolving set of FAQs on our website.

You may have anticipated this announcement, as colleges, universities, and boarding schools across the country have been making similar decisions. Nevertheless, we know it is very disappointing, especially for our seniors. We know that the question of Commencement is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of our seniors and their parents. Please know that this weighs heavily on my heart and mind as well as those of the faculty. While we will not speculate what such a ceremony will look like, we are committed to finding a way to honor the outstanding Class of 2020 and their achievements in ways that will include an event on campus at some point in the future.

Earlier this week, we were planning for the return of students in mid-April. Today, we realize that the best way to keep our entire community healthy is to maintain distance from one another. We know that our close-knit community is one of our greatest assets, which makes the idea of keeping distance very strange to us at the School.

At Trinity-Pawling, we believe learning takes place best in a community that is grounded in respect, mutuality, and togetherness. What makes this decision so agonizing is that I realize that some of this special chemistry will be lost. It is our goal, however, to be able to bring the community together virtually in ways that are creative, dynamic, and personal. The brotherhood is a human connection like no other – and we are determined to keep our connection as a community intact, in spite of the distance. Please know that this decision was not made lightly and not without the understanding of and sensitivity to its many ramifications.

It is in times of need that bring communities closer together. In this time, we must also make important sacrifices for the greater good of our global community. We, at the School, have the responsibility of making decisions as the situation rapidly evolves. We will make decisions for the common good of our entire community. We will remain committed to our families. We will make mistakes and we will learn from them. We will continue to be caring human beings. In doing this, we keep at the forefront of our minds the mission of Trinity-Pawling: …to educate and instill a value system that prepares young men to be contributing members of society amidst the challenges of an ever-changing world.

Clearly, we are experiencing an ever-changing world. Please know that inherent in this reality is the School's responsibility to help our students, your sons, adjust and learn to grow in confidence in their ability to navigate these changes in their lives and in their world. It is an honor to have been given this responsibility and please know it is one that we will work to uphold to the best of our collective ability.

In community,