Closed (UPDATE 2)
Hello everyone,
This afternoon at 2:00 PM all the teachers and staff met and discussed the COVID-19 issue. The government has advised all academies shut down until March 9 and the Director of PEAI, J, informed us that we will be following that order. For the next two weeks, PEAI will be closed. It will re-open on March 9 (Monday) and classes will resume as normal.
The building will remain open from Monday to Friday 12 to 8 PM during these two weeks for students and parents. If for some reason you need to visit, please do stop by.
This closing is unprecedented in PEAI history. PEAI has never been closed for this long of a stretch, ever. There also has never been as extraordinary of a health issue as the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, either. This virus poses a real threat and we must all do our part to fight it, together. Just one person can make a real difference. Two weeks is a long time, but I know it’s right for PEAI and the safety of our small community. Let’s come back in March in good health and spirits and continue on together.
UPDATE (March 3): Yesterday afternoon, the Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hae announced a further delay of two weeks to the start of the school year for elementary, middle, and high schools. This extends the postponement to a full four weeks and makes March 23 the new scheduled start date of the school year. She recommended academies shut down during this period as well. PEAI has now re-scheduled its opening to March 23 to align with the start of school.
This news is not unexpected, but hard to hear nonetheless. PEAI is a central part of life for many of us and losing it for even just a week is tough. Losing an entire month together is unthinkable. There is comfort in habit and seeing familiar faces on a regular basis. When that routine suddenly disappears, the rhythm of our lives is interrupted.
We are living in a most unusual time. Two weeks ago, there were a scant 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and it seemed that South Korea had the virus under control. Those were the days, huh? 4,781 cases later, we are living in semi-lockdown and the country we inhabit is fundamentally changed. The way we go about our daily lives is unrecognizable to what it used to be. It won’t be like this forever though. This virus will fade away, and one day in the not-too-distant future we’ll look back at this time, perhaps fondly, and share our stories about it.
UPDATE (March 21): I went in to PEAI yesterday afternoon to prepare for the re-opening this upcoming Monday. I cleaned and re-organized our classroom and got all materials and lessons ready for our long awaited return. When we do return, starting on March 23, we must all exercise caution. The coronavirus is fading away in South Korea, but it still poses a danger to all of us and our loved ones. We must remain vigilant. To that end, PEAI has taken the following precautions:
On March 20, PEAI was cleaned and disinfected by a professional cleaning service.
Upon arrival, all students and teachers will have their temperature taken. Anyone with a fever will be sent home.
Students and teachers will be required to wear masks during class.
Desks will be spaced apart from one another.
These guidelines will continue for the foreseeable future. Remember, it just takes one careless person to start another exponential spread. Let’s ensure it does not happen at PEAI and we stay open and together for the rest of 2020!
BLT out.