April 28 Message to the Community

Dear Members of the Berkeley Community,

I hope this message finds the Berkeley Family safe, and enjoying as best you can this beautiful spring weather. Thank you for the role you are playing in Berkeley Remote; our partnership has never been stronger as we work together to guide and educate our beloved students.

Regarding the future: we remain committed to adhering to CDC guidelines, including the plan issued by the White House Coronavirus Task Force entitled “Opening Up America Again." This plan, which can be read in its entirety here https://www.whitehouse.gov/openingamerica/ dictates that schools not consider re-opening until a region has reached phase two of the three-phased approach to ‘re-opening.’ The governor’s comments yesterday suggested that he believes we may have moved into phase one here, and we are tracking data relative to that conclusion as well. Regardless, as we are not in phase two, we will not be re-opening school on campus on Monday, May 4.

I am acutely aware of the sense of loss our students are feeling right now, especially our seniors. We are making plans and contingency plans for many events, including the Baccalaureate service and Commencement – more on these two as more becomes known. However, given the timing, and how the coming month may unfold, we have been forced to cancel the All Sports Banquet and Baccalaureate dinner. Regarding athletics, we are committed to honoring our student-athletes in a variety of ways, and communication will be shared as plans finalize. And, please know that communication about other division-specific events will be forthcoming from divisional offices once decisions are made.

I will keep you apprised of various potentialities as things become clearer in the coming weeks; for the time being, we will continue teaching and learning remotely. I wish you all the best for wellness and joy as we go forth. Thank you for your ongoing flexibility, nimbleness, and support.

Joseph W. Seivold
Headmaster
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Founded in 1960, Berkeley is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory day school located in Tampa, FL, for boys and girls in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 12. Approximately 1,400 students gather here from the greater Tampa Bay area to form ONE Berkeley.