To our remarkable community, I would like to share a few words on how CCI has been navigating this unprecedented time. As we all know, Italy has been hit badly by COVID-19. We are fortunate in Abruzzo to be away from the epicentre, even as our daily routines and lifestyles have changed to meet the moment.
I'm pleased to say that all of our students returned home safely ahead of the national lockdown due to our proactive measures. Our primary focus these last weeks has been to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff, and we are proud of the early and diligent efforts we made during this crisis. Here are some of the communications and decisions we published:
February 23 – Cancellation of Trip to Venice
https://www.canadiancollegeitaly.com/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=148#
February 26 – Early Departure
https://www.canadiancollegeitaly.com/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=149#
March 6 – Temporary Closure of Facilities
https://www.canadiancollegeitaly.com/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=151#
April 6 – Facilities to Remain Closed for Semester
https://www.canadiancollegeitaly.com/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=157#
Following our March Break, we moved to specialized virtual classrooms, with our teachers working tirelessly to prepare their courses. I have to praise our teachers and students; they have demonstrated an incredible ability to quickly adjust to this new learning environment and the level of engagement has been tremendous! Distance learning will continue until June 5th, our scheduled final day of classes.
I thank everyone for their sincere understanding during this strange time. Over the past weeks, I have heard from so many of you and your warm wishes have been genuinely appreciated. We are all very much in this together.
Here is a quick reference to some of our most frequently asked questions:
When and How Will Grades be Published?
Unless otherwise mandated by the Ministry of Education, Midterm and Final Grades will be recorded. Midterm Reports were published to Parent and Student portals on Friday April 10th. Final Reports will be published June 12th.
How and When Will Belongings From the Residence be Shipped?
We will be packing up all of our students' items that were left in residences and shipping them home. Please send an email to schooloffice@canadiancollegeitaly.com to confirm your address and home telephone number, and include any specific instructions (returning students may request that we store their items). Also, please note that given the current lockdown in Italy, it will take time to work out the logistics, though we expect to start shipping in the latter half of April. Once pickup is organized, we will send parents a tracking code so that they may follow their package(s).
How Will the University Application Process be Adapted?
Midterm and final marks, along with final transcripts, will still be sent to all universities before the deadlines. If students or parents have specific questions about applications, they are encouraged to contact Ms. Smith at jessie.smith@canadiancollegeitaly.com. Based on our communications with UCAS and OUAC, it seems that some deadlines are already being extended. Any further developments that we learn of will be communicated. In the meantime, students are asked to continue checking their emails for news from specific universities, and to login to their student portals regularly.
What Will Graduation Be Like This Year?
A major highlight of the school year has always been our Graduation and Closing Ceremony. It is a time for celebration, reflection, and well-wishes. We plan to hold the ceremony through an online platform for all students, parents, and staff. More details will come closer to the date.
What is CCI's Plan for 2020/2021?
CCI plans to open on September 17th, 2020. We have adjusted our curriculum and academic year to account for a later start to ensure our students and staff are abiding by the latest Italian guidelines for school re-openings. We continue to monitor the situation closely, both here in Italy, and across the globe, and have taken the necessary steps to allow for seamless online learning in the case that travel to Italy is delayed due to government restrictions. The health and safety of our students, staff, and both local and international communities is our primary priority, and we have contingency plans in place to account for a number of scenarios. We look forward to sharing plans about the details of our reopening with you as we get closer to September.
Kindest and warmest regards,
David Stephens
Headmaster