Dear Bancroft Community,
As we have reached the final Friday before a well-deserved Thanksgiving break, I wanted to provide you with a few announcements and reminders.
Health and Safety Updates As colder temperatures arrive in Massachusetts and we near the holiday season of gathering with family and friends, it is critically important we remember to abide by our health and safety protocols. This includes completing our MyMedBot screening application accurately every day and staying home if you are sick. The national uptick in COVID-19 cases is a reminder that this virus is still here and we must continue to be vigilant in protecting ourselves and those around us. Vaccination continues to be a valuable tool. Please remember to update our School Nurse Liza Marzilli as your students become vaccinated. We are asking families to send in copies of their state-issued vaccination cards as soon as they are available.
Testing for COVID-19 is another powerful tool for us to mitigate any spread on our campus. We are currently using testing measures selectively for members of our community as needed. We are asking all students, faculty, and staff to complete this consent form so we may provide the testing if it becomes necessary. Please complete the consent form as soon as possible if you haven't already. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to School Nurse Liza Marzilli.
Creedon & Co. Survey and Lunch Changes Thank you to those of you that took the time to complete our recent Creedon & Co. Survey. We received 200 responses providing us with valuable feedback that has informed some substantial decisions in an effort to improve the quality of our lunch program. Our plan going forward is to slowly and safely integrate a lunch line program in our dining hall with access to a variety of food options. This will eventually phase out the current boxed lunch program.
As we begin this process, it is important that we continue to abide by our health and safety protocols including limiting capacity in the dining hall to appropriately distance individuals while eating. With that in mind, we will begin by phasing in this new system with our Upper School students and faculty/staff. We recognize that for some, even with limited capacity and social distancing, it will not feel comfortable eating in a large room with more than a few other people. With that in mind, we will continue to offer 'takeaway' options for individuals who wish to grab food and eat it in another location.
We are able to make this move with added confidence knowing that nearly 90% of our Upper School students and 100% of our faculty are fully vaccinated. We will plan to add Middle School and Lower School access to this new program as soon as we are able. We continue to encourage all eligible community members to become vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect our community and allow us to continue to peel back layers of our protocols.
The new program will begin for Upper School students after Thanksgiving break. Additional information, including any changes to ordering and payment methods, will be communicated by Creedon and Co. soon.
We appreciate your continued support as we have navigated this temporary lunch system through the uncertainties of the pandemic. We feel confident that this new system will help ensure a higher level of quality and get us another step closer to a sense of normalcy on campus.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to bancroftdining@creedonandco.com.
Bancroft Bookstore Hours In an effort to better accommodate more members of the community with access to the bookstore, we will be adjusting the Bancroft Bookstore hours beginning November 29th. The new hours are below.
Bookstore Operating Hours as of 11/29: Monday (8 am-3 pm) Tuesday (8 am-3 pm) Wednesday (8 am-3 pm) Thursday (11-6 pm) Friday (8 am-11:45 am)
You can make an appointment to visit the bookstore here. Masks are required and we ask that all guests enter through the bookstore entrance (below the Upper School entrance). Questions? Reach out to Bookstore Manager Jaime Thorsen. Bancroft School Giving Day SAVE THE DATE! Tuesday, November 30 is Bancroft School Giving Day. I hope you will consider contributing whatever you can towards the Bancroft Fund. This fund is an integral part of ensuring greater access for students and supports the faculty who provide innovative teaching for active learning. You can learn more about the day here. Worcester Majors We have recently reached an agreement with a semi-pro basketball team to play their home games at Bancroft. The Worcester Majors, who will be competing in the American Basketball Association, will play their home games at Bancroft between 11/20 and 3/6. All 12 games on their home schedule are on weekends and will be played in the Fletcher Athletic Center on the Mark O'Brien Court. If you are interested in seeing a game, tickets are available at the door and are $8 for Bancroft students, families, faculty, and staff. Worcester Monopoly We are excited to announce that Bancroft School is one of the properties featured on the brand new Worcester edition of Monopoly. We will have the classic family board game for sale in a few weeks in the Bancroft Bookstore. You can also find it for sale at TidePool Bookshop and WorcesterWares in Worcester. Spike was very excited to get the chance to meet Mr. Monopoly at the launch event at Union Station earlier this week. 12 Angry Jurors Bancroft Upper School Drama is back! We are excited to be able to welcome students, parents, and faculty/staff back into the theatre to support our young thespians as they present a story about a trial with many twists and turns. You won't want to miss it! Seating will be limited and masks are required of all audience members. Tickets are available online by clicking the image below. Trey Cassidy |