I’m so grateful to Mercersburg for the thoughtful and self sacrificial way they are handling their refund. They also offered the options of: cash refund, credit for next year, donate to very worry causes. I’m so proud and grateful. Here’s what was offered and what I’ve heard from others; please copy and paste if you want to add yours for future parents:
Deerfield: $2700
Mercersburg: $4000
Sorry, they should read “worthy”. Also I realize that “proud” is not the right word and I should have just left it as “grateful”.
Just wanted to chime in that Mercersburg stated that they are committed to paying all their employees their full salaries through June 30th, so this refund was not given on the backs of faculty and staff.
The $4000 refund was for full pay boarding students. Full pay day students were given a value of $2000. If a student receives 50% financial aid, then they will receive 50% of that refund value. I, too, am grateful for their generosity and options for how to use the money (i.e. credit, cash or donation to a worthy cause.)
Taft is crediting about $2500 for full pay boarders.
Episcopal refund is $4100, prorated by FA percent.
SMS is refunding $2600, prorated based on amount of FA, based on a return date of May 18. They indicated that amount would change should the kids not be able to return to campus until a later date or not at all.
And this does not affect staff/faculty salaries, which are still being paid. I
One thing I noticed was that no one held Giving Day this year - which I think will greatly affect the schools’ finances for the year. They always count on this day. But I find it very tasteful given many are finding themselves in an unexpected financial bind due to the pandemic.
Well, St Mark’s just called it. No return for the spring nor commencement. They will let us know how we can get our belongings stored for the summer. ?
Cate just called it. ?
Thacher called it last Thursday. It was a very sad day in our household.
Isn’t it strange? There is nothing I love more than to have my kid home with me, but when the announcement came I was very disappointed. I felt all he was missing out on. Only a BS parent can understand the huge loss felt, despite their selfish/personal gain.
@buuzn03, you are so right. As much as we’ve missed our son terribly while he’s away, my spouse and I understand that he is happy and thriving at Thacher and so we want him there as much as possible. I just pray that the kids go back as scheduled in the fall.
I told my husband I would be willing to not see our daughter all school year if it meant she could go back next year. She will walk away if the idea of online school next year is mentioned. She needs her people and school so much. ?
Thanks for sharing…kiddo is very sad and has been crying often over the past couple of days in anticipation for the end of school next week ONLINE. This is hitting kids very hard…also not being able to say goodbye to graduating friends. No closure. Not many kids her age down here since she never went to high school here and we had moved. I know there are many kids out there feeling isolated - plus no consistent dates have been given about the summer programs we had registered for. A lot of uncertainty that is fueling the anxiety…also knowing your “stuff” is at school and that someone will be packing it up. It’s hard to keep it all in perspective, even if you know it’s better to be safe and to be grateful for health…but for our kids it just really is tough.
Regarding BS kids having their rooms packed up… I spoke with a former colleague yesterday who reported 2 kids who lived in the first dorm being packed up have already been informed they are not welcome to return to school, whether online or on-campus. As a former BS dorm parent, I can easily imagine that there are a substantial number of kids who are feeling extremely anxious right now about “certain items” they had in their rooms.
Yes- I’m sure we will be hearing interesting stories.
We packed up kiddo last Friday. Super weird and sad. I think it was good for kiddo to see campus and touch his stuff. But other than having our temps taken at the gate, a dorm parent checking us in (from a distance) and a 5 minute chat from the top of the stairs with his advisor (she dropped off brownies!), we saw no one.
It was a whirlwind trip, great to be out of the house (note - not so easy to find clean places to pee on the road), but very bittersweet overall. I think it was a net positive- kiddo picking up each memento and explaining its significance to me seemed therapeutic. When we got home he immediately shut his bedroom door, unpacked and cleaned his room. (Clearly something was wrong with him!)
I am so very sad for these kids. ?
As you know by now, I can always find something to smile about…Kiddo tells me that a girl down the hall is worried that she will get in trouble @ or that someone will steal her EZ Bake oven! OK…does anyone else have an EZ Bake Oven at school?
I’m still worried about the fish tank that, I think, you mentioned before?? Assuming there were fish in there before spring break…
Aren’t they toaster ovens these days?
The one I had (when JFK was prez) had tiny little pans and tweezers to push the ounce of batter under the hot light and out. Hardly worth the trouble, but my Barbie’s ate every bit of whatever I “baked.” Good times.
The EZ Bake in question is a pink one with little pans…IT’s not the sturdy metal version we had back in the days of the JFK administration.