All Upper School international Intensive Learning trips are canceled due to growing concern over COVID-19. This decision, made by members of the Moorestown Friends School Coronavirus Response Team (CRT) on Monday, March 9, comes after days of meetings in which the CRT reviewed information from the CDC, WHO, and other credible sources on the day-by-day state of the coronavirus and overall travel safety in and out of the United States.
In an email to families of international Intensive Learning travelers, Upper School Director Meredith Godley explained that there were a number of different factors that went into the CRT’s decision.
“The rapid increase rate in cases of COVID-19 throughout the world has left us concerned and uncertain about the future stability of all regions . . . We are not sure how the situation will change in the week your child is scheduled to be out of the country. Given the rate of change over the past week alone, we cannot risk the safety of our students and faculty in such an unpredictable setting. If the situation changes while in another country, the group could face travel restrictions, potential quarantines, challenges in returning home, and limited health care options . . . Nearly 100% of our peer schools nationally, including all Friends League schools, have already canceled their international travel. Additionally, the CDC recently put out guidance for higher education institutions to consider bringing home their study abroad students, while also postponing or canceling their exchange programs overseas. Given the dynamic nature of this situation, we cannot put our students and faculty in such a complex and uncertain position while in a foreign country.”
Godley wrote in the email that while the school regrets to inform students about the decision to cancel the international trips, “school travel is inherently different from family or personal travel and, as such, we must always act with an abundance of caution, knowing that our primary responsibility is to care for the safety and well-being of our students and adults. We take that responsibility very seriously.”
With the cancelation, Godley and MFS are actively “in touch with trip groups individually to explain the process of cancellation and refunds,” but urge families to stay patient during this process, as everyone will be getting money back, but some will have to wait until the 2021 Intensive Learning enrollment to get 100% of the money they spent, since the same three trips will be run again in the 2020-21 school year.
“I just think that they should still let us go . . . we looked it up and there are like no cases there and it’s actually worse [in the U.S.] then it is [in Belize], so we should just go,” said Christian Parsi ’21, a student signed up for the Belize trip.
As for an alternative trip, Godley and the school are “now reviewing domestic travel experiences as well as any field trips that are planned for the coming weeks and months. We are keeping an eye on the ever-changing situation and will be in touch with families if we decide to alter those plans.”
Though Godley has said that nothing is set in stone yet, they are expecting the canceled trips to meet on campus, where they will carry out their trip in an altered fashion. Once the final decision is made by the CRT this week, Godley would like to have students and faculty work together for the on campus planning so that everyone has the best experience possible given the new circumstances.
Despite international trips no longer traveling, the two in-country overnight trips to the Grand Canyon and Florida are still currently planning on traveling. While there are cases, and even deaths, in Arizona (6 cases) and Florida (14 cases, 2 deaths), the risk is not nearly as dangerous as leaving the country. However, this decision could be up to change after New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency on Monday afternoon, as the state’s case number rises to 11, and several schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including Germantown Academy, have closed temporarily due to the virus.
“People know the risks, and if they are willing to take the risks, let them,” said Parker Kimberly ’20, a student signed up for the Grand Canyon trip.
Head of School Julia de la Torre has not stated that MFS plans on closing any time soon, however in an email sent out Monday night to the MFS community, de la Torre said that “If you or anyone in your household is traveling to/through or receiving visitors in your home from a CDC Warning Level 3 country, or if you plan to go on a cruise, please fill out this brief survey before your departure.”
In the event that MFS must close temporarily however, the technology department is currently working on a “remote learning plan” that will have classes run online, allowing students to keep up with their classes from home. To do this, students need to have internet access, a device with access to the web for remote instruction, and a device with a webcam.
Regardless of what happens, MFS is solely focused on having their staff and students “practice good hygiene.” There is currently a section on the myMFS resources page for COVID-19 awareness and information. The school has already made changes to meeting for worship, having people “bump elbows” and say “good morning” as they enter the meeting house instead of shaking hands. They also advise students and staff to stay home if they feel sick in any way, and if they have any flu-like symptoms, they must stay home at least 24 hours.
