Parent Meeting Notes: Monday, January 25
This morning Quisqueya held a parent meeting at 9 am in the Elementary Building. First of all, director Steve Hersey shared that our buildings have been evaluated by engineers multiple times, and have been labeled structurally sound. Because of Quisqueya’s desire to serve Haiti following the earthquake, we are allowing some areas of campus to be used as an operational command center of the US Army as well as a Quisqueya coordination center for incoming medical mission teams.
Director Steve Hersey expressed his excitement to begin educating students once again. He emphasized that as we return to classroom instruction, things will be different but quality and standards will not decrease. Mr. Hersey discussed the options now available to Quisqueya students in light of the earthquake. The administrative offices (including the desks of principal Tony Dekoter and director Steve Hersey) are now located in the Elementary Library, and transcripts or student documents may be requested for those students who are transferring to other schools. For those who are no longer in Haiti and are in 7th grade or higher, Sevenstar Academy is an accredited online school. At the beginning of January, over 20 Quisqueya students were already using Sevenstar for supplementary courses or main instruction.
For our students in Port-au-Prince, Quisqueya will open again for classes this Wednesday, January 27. We will be starting anew with a revised curriculum focusing on core courses (English, Bible, math, history, science). Mr. Hersey made a firm commitment that all returning seniors in good standing who were on track to graduate will receive a Quisqueya diploma. Quisqueya’s accrediting agency ACSI has created a team with experience in school administration following crises to advise our school.
Our academic standards will be high, but students’ emotional and spiritual health will be just as high a priority in light of the trauma of the earthquake. To that end, professional crisis counselors and a campus chaplain are here to listen to and love our students and staff. Dave Manley, a Creole-speaking former pastor of Quisqueya Chapel and longtime servant of Haiti, has flown in from Canada to serve as our campus chaplain and will be coordinating worship, prayer, and pastoral counseling. Mr. Hersey stressed that just as we would not hesitate to seek medical attention for a broken arm, we should not hesitate to care for our emotional and spiritual health following the earthquake. Seeking counseling is not a sign of weakness. Mr. Hersey shared that when students return to class on Wednesday, we will start at a reduced pace and give students time to complete assignments at school so the stress of homework doesn’t add to their burden at this time. Wednesday will be an orientation day. School hours will be remain the same, with new scheduling placing an emphasis on academics in the morning and a variety of activities including serving in earthquake relief efforts in the afternoon. Students are advised not to wear their uniforms for the present time.
One exciting new opportunity for serving local Haitians will be the creation of some basic classes on our campus for the children of our Haitian Quisqueya workers. Many of our guards, food service workers, janitors, and other staff are now homeless, and their families (including many children) are staying on campus. We commit to assist them as they get on their feet again, and one way will be educating their children in basic Bible, math, and English language skills.
Regarding finances, Mr. Hersey sadly reported that school income may be very low for some time, resulting in some regrettable teacher layoffs. The school desires to be sensitive to the financial hardships on our Quisqueya families following the earthquake, and plans to implement a sliding scale tuition system. The QCS Financial Committee is working on policies for the 2010-2011 school year. For details regarding what this means for your family for the rest of spring 2010, please speak to Mr. Tony Dekoter.
For students desiring to transfer to Quisqueya, the application process will be the same. Mr. Hersey has been in contact with other Port-au-Prince school leaders and seeks to assist them, but QCS is not merging with any school. Those interested in transferring should contact the school office.
Over 60 students’ parents attended the meeting this morning – what a great turnout! We are very excited to welcome back students again. Mr. Hersey recommended preparing returning students by sharing with them that the school campus will look different, their classroom may change, and that school will follow different routines than before. Students should know that all QCS teachers are safe, but that they may have a different teacher. Students should know the buildings are safe, and that they will be well loved as they return to class.
From this point forward we will make communication a high priority and will update this website very frequently.
Tags: education