Dear Crowden Community,

Crowden programs begin Spring Break today, and I hope you will all be able to enjoy a restful break from being part of Zoom-land and our new altered reality.

As many of you are aware, the shelter-in-place has been extended to May. The Governor’s office has just let us know that it is likely that the shelter-in-place orders will be extended again until it is deemed safe to be with one another.

We really appreciate hearing from you, and receiving your pictures and notes! Truly a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful community for your continued words of support and encouragement. All of us at Crowden deeply appreciate your support.

I am writing to update you on changes to our operations. We continue to take every effort to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of everyone in our community.

School and Center Closures

Our plan, and hope, was that we could all come back together sometime in spring to celebrate our extraordinary community, but we understand that is highly unlikely. Many of our scheduled school events may be pushed into summer, canceled, or reimagined completely. Current Crowden School students and families should expect their TCS Newsletter on a weekly basis; please continue checking it for changes and updates. We are thinking of how we might still honor and acknowledge graduation for our wonderful eighth graders, and how we might be able to at least come together in some way to still play our music in the Upper and Lower Schools.

Summer programs, at this point, are expected to begin in June as scheduled. Community Programs Director Marion Atherton will continue to update faculty and families regarding specific programs. We will also continue to send out weekly emails updates to keep you informed and in touch with Crowden’s community education.

Public Gatherings

We are suspending all public performances, recitals and rentals until we receive notice from Alameda County that we may be able to resume gatherings of whatever size.

Our building remains closed to all but essential staff and faculty. There is a skeleton crew of about four to six of us here to continue administrative, financial, and facility functions. Most of our faculty and staff are working from home. If you have any questions, please email us directly, or leave a message on our general line: 510.559.6910. Please be patient as our response may be several days delayed.

I remain so very grateful to our staff, faculty, students, and families. I am heartened to know that the effects of our social distancing are showing a glimmer of hope, but this is uncharted territory for everyone. As a parent, teacher, and administrator I well sympathize with everyone about having to be patient and adjust to such new challenges. I deeply appreciate everyone’s efforts to accommodate these changes.

It is not easy being apart—all of us are feeling the loss of connecting with friends, families, and those we love. So much has been interrupted. But we will see this through, and we will honor important milestones that we expect and treasure. The safety of our community is our priority, and we will not be making any moves without approval and guidance from the state.

Please continue to ‘hang in there’ with me, and to reach out to me if you have any further questions. I will continue to share more updates as I am able to.

Warm regards,

Doris