Dear Bancroft Community,
As I looked out my window yesterday around mid-day, I saw the entire class of 2022 marching through campus celebrating the milestone of having just 100 days left until they graduate from Bancroft School. They weren't the only ones enjoying the moment as many of their Upper School classmates, teachers, staff, and even our early learning students lined the walkway between the playground and classroom buildings cheering on the seniors along their parade route. As we've strived to return to a sense of normalcy at our school lately, it is these kind of moments that remind me what a PreK to 12 close-knit community feels like. I am encouraged and optimistic that more of these moments are in our future and I look forward to witnessing this supportive and collaborative environment this spring.
Speaking of moments, I hope to see many of you at the DCU Center tonight for Bancroft Night at the Worcester Railers! I am looking forward to hearing our students perform the National Anthem. It is not too late to get discounted tickets by clicking this link.
Before the weekend begins, I have an important update surrounding our health and safety protocols and a reminder about an upcoming campus event you won't want to miss.
Mask Policy
We will move to a mask optional campus beginning Monday, March 14. This decision is in alignment with recent recommendations from CDC, State of Massachusetts leadership, public health agencies, and our expert advisors. We also feel confident that this is the right decision for our community at this time because our recent COVID-19 numbers have been increasingly low and our vaccination rate amongst eligible individuals is high. Masks will continue to be required for audiences in the Harrington Theater as it is our largest gathering space on campus with close proximity seating. Masks are also required in the Health Center per the state of Massachusetts.
This week, we discussed this transition with our faculty and staff to help prepare them for this change and next week they will do the same with our students. We encourage you to talk with your children as well so they are prepared for the 14th.
As we begin to plan end-of-year events, we may designate certain events as having masks be a requirement. We will also continue to keep a close watch on the school, local, and national trends regarding the viral spread. We may pivot back to campus-wide mask use if it is necessary.
Our testing protocol will continue as it has the past several months. We will provide rapid antigen nasal swab test kits for use during spring break and for Monday morning before arriving on campus to those that have opted-in. We will have saliva laboratory PCR testing sent out on Tuesday morning after returning from spring break as well. We will also continue to utilize the MyMedBot mobile application for daily health screening as a tool to monitor for symptoms and keep symptomatic individuals home. All of our existing policies regarding symptoms or exposure to COVID-19 still remain in effect. Please reference our health and safety protocols document for more detailed information.
We recognize that there will be varying levels of comfort as we make this transition and there are a variety of reasons why some individuals will continue to wear masks while on campus. We should all be respectful of people's preferences and personal needs around mask-wearing.
We appreciate everyone's cooperation and understanding as we have worked through this process. Please reach out to our school nurse Liza Marzilli with any questions.
Lucky Stiff
It is nearly lights, camera, action for the cast and crew of the Upper School Musical 'Lucky Stiff' which will debut next Thursday night here at the Harrington Theater. I am immensely proud of our Performing Arts faculty team and our talented cast and crew of students for bringing the annual musical back to life after a 2-year COVID-19 hiatus. I hope you find time to join us on campus for one of their 4 shows. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Thu. Mar 10th 2022, 7:30 pm
Fri. Mar 11th 2022, 7:30 pm
Sat. Mar 12th 2022, 1:00 pm
Sat. Mar 12th 2022, 7:30 pm
With the musical back at Bancroft, so is the annual Community Dinner! Join us on March 11th (5:30 pm - 7:00 pm) in the dining hall before the musical. The menu consists of pasta entrees from Dino's Restaurant of Worcester, salad, bread, and dessert. Dinner tickets are $10 per person and can be ordered online here. Please join us, support our performing arts program, and attend what I know will be a great show.
Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to seeing you on campus sometime soon.
Best,