On Genesee Ave
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EDUCATION
Reopening School Amid covid-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lives and industries across the globe. Schools, including La Jolla Country Day School, all had to adapt significantly. Now, morning temperature checks, mask wearing, remaining in a cohort, and keeping distance from others are commonplace on campus.
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hroughout the turmoil and uncertainty, the LJCDS community came together to navigate one of the most challenging times in the school’s 90-plus-year history. “Torreys Together” became a common phrase as the community quickly pivoted and prioritized all that was in the students’ best interest. “The pandemic was not the catalyst to create a community; rather, it provided the time for us to appreciate the community that we have,” shares Gary Krahn, Ph.D., head of school. “The heart of a community is made up of the care, rapport and connection that we have for one another.” The American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledges that on-campus learning is essential to the long-term well-being
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of children. With this in mind, the students’ academic, social and emotional well-being were at the core of all decision-making. After successfully transitioning to e-learning in spring 2020, LJCDS began the 2020–2021 academic year online until the school received approval from the state and San Diego County to open. The Early Childhood Center (students ages 3–4) began learning on campus in August. Later in September and October, LJCDS welcomed back a few grades at a time, starting with the youngest students in the Lower School and gradually increasing the density of the age 3–Grade 12 campus. E-learning remained an option for families.
