February 19, 2021

Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, and Staff,

February is certainly proving to be snowy and cold. Today brought another slow-moving storm with snow and ice. We decided last night to err on the side of caution and to move today's classes online. Living in New England, we know what to expect and have the infrastructure to handle the weather. My deepest sympathy for those of you who are in Texas or other southern states where you are experiencing unprecedented winter weather. Indeed, I believe that it is as cold in Texas today as it is here in Connecticut.

On the pandemic front, our testing protocols are working well. As a community, we have taken almost 4,000 tests so far this term, and this week we had one positive result out of 1,201 tests administered. That student as well as identified close contacts are now quarantining at home. In addition to the compliance with COVID safety protocols by our community members, a declining positivity rate in Connecticut is helping our good results. If that trend continues, the Governor may raise the limit for outdoor gathering from 50 to 200 people, which will be a welcome improvement and will help us as we continue to consider what may be possible for the Class of 2021 Commencement. Unfortunately, even with some hoped-for changes in gathering restrictions, we have had to make the difficult decisions not to hold an on-campus Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 this spring and to cancel in-person reunion celebrations in June. We informed our affected alumni yesterday and earlier today. I know these decisions will be disappointing, but we did not see a way to safely host these events. We will have a virtual Reunion 2021 on Saturday, June 12, and we will continue to consider ways to bring the Class of 2020 together once the pandemic subsides.

Additional good news came last week when the state extended eligibility for the vaccine to anyone over the age of 65. Unfortunately, our faculty and staff, unless they are over 65, are not yet eligible. The New York Times recently ran an article about Pfizer's testing the vaccine on teenagers aged 12 to 15. The company expects to be able to complete the survey by the spring, and hopefully FDA approval will not be too far behind.

Next week we have Jeff Orlowski visiting campus virtually for a webinar on Monday, February 22, at 7 p.m. to discuss his most recent film, The Social Dilemma, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and is currently streaming on Netflix. Dean of Student Life Jess Matzkin and Scott MacClintic '82, director of innovation in Loomis' Pearse Hub for Innovation (PHI), will interview Mr. Orlowski. Parents, students, faculty, and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend; you can register here. Following Mr. Orlowski's visit, Thursday Advisory Group discussions on February 25 will focus on themes from the film and the webinar. In addition to watching the film on Netflix, Loomis community members may view The Social Dilemma at a screening organized by Student Activities this evening at 8 p.m. I suspect that the movie will be a topic for discussion at the school for some time to come and that it will change our relationship with social media. The issues that it raises are important and timely.

As you know the school sits on the confluence of the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers and is just a wonderful spot for birders. One of the real highlights are the number of eagles that like to fish along these rivers. This week I saw a juvenile swoop by a small flotilla of common mergansers to catch a nice-sized fish. Connecticut has seen an impressive improvement in the number of nesting pairs of eagles, with 45 nests and 81 chicks hatched last year, including a pair at the nearby Windsor Locks Canal Trail. While the pandemic has been difficult for so many of us, one of the lessons for me is to remember to spend some time outdoors and to take the time to appreciate this campus and its beautiful setting.

Ne cede malis,

Sheila