Community Resources
On March 17, 2020, Silverdale Baptist Academy and Preschool transitioned to online learning, in line with precautions surrounding COVID-19.
As the Silverdale community continues to monitor the coronavirus and its spread, our team has been hard at work with innovative approaches to the educational experience that is what makes Silverdale an ACSI Exemplary Accredited institution. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Tennessee Department of Health, and other agencies update their information, we will provide the most relevant content here. You can also find the latest updates out of Silverdale as we plan for the return to school on August 12, 2020.
Primary Sources
Tennessee Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC has established resources that serve as our primary source of information and guidance:
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Situation Summary
When looking at travel, please consider the information provided here:
CDC Travel Recommendations by Country
Timeline of Updates
Director of Preschool Shelly Robertson presents her preschool-specific roadmap called Seahawk Sustained Supervision. Her video and all roadmap materials can be found on the Roadmap to Return to Campus page of our website.
Mrs. Hansard presents her Roadmap to Return to Campus as we make plans to return for Silverdale Summer Camps and the first day of school on August 12, 2020.
Year-end events were held with great success and within proper CDC guidelines, including drive-thru celebrations and a private Hamilton County Health Department-blessed graduation ceremony for the Silverdale Class of 2020.
Mrs. Hansard announces that we will not return to campus for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year: "I don’t think we have ever lived out a school theme more than this year. Our theme - ”Make Us One” - has come alive. We have come together as one like never before. For those of you who have risen to the occasion and been a light for Jesus in these darkest of times, I want to say thank you. Yesterday, Governor Bill Lee recommended that all Tennessee school campuses remain closed and that online learning continues for the remainder of this academic school year in order to continue to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Out of respect for everyone’s safety, I have decided to follow suit. Our online learning experience has been effective and will continue through the remainder of this school year."
Below are some points from communication to parents:
"On the afternoon of Friday, March 13, 2020, Silverdale Baptist Academy closed the Academy in order to protect the health and wellness of our students, our staff and their families. Our Crisis Management Team continues to follow the current climate and provides our entire leadership team with constant updates and recommendations. This information has been invaluable in keeping us ahead of the curve and thinking proactively. Silverdale Baptist Academy, as of today, does not have a return date."
"We encourage our families and our students to reach out to their teachers and principals with questions and concerns. Thank you for your continued flexibility and cooperation during this unprecedented time. We ask that as needs arise, you stay in close communication with our Academy. For the latest updates, visit our Community Resources page."
Munchkins for Moms took place with the social distancing theme, where moms and their kids were treated to a free donut of their choice from the Tasty Donuts drive-thru in East Brainerd, all day! Guest speaker Heather Prairie shared her encouraging message for moms via emailed video.
Kindergarten and First Grade learning materials drive-thru pickup.
Surveys shared with parents, students, and teachers to gauge the climate after one full week of online learning.
Effective Friday, March 20th at 3 p.m. the Silverdale Baptist Academy campus will be closed completely. Online learning will continue, but we will not reopen until Tuesday, April 14th (subject to change).
Should you need to make contact with anyone at the Academy, email will be our priority communication method during this time. Phone messages can be received as well, with messages returned within 24 hours. As always, communication with teachers can continue directly and technical needs can be routed through the Help Desk.
Our school leadership addressed parents with video updates following Mrs. Hansard's address.
From the Director of Preschool
From the Middle School Principal
Beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, Silverdale Baptist Academy and Preschool will be closed until further notice.
We have made plans to minimize potential gaps in the continuity of education so that students can continue learning from home. Teachers have made every effort to modify their lesson planning to accommodate this shift in teaching approach.
Updates on further developments and timelines will be communicated to our families as the information is made clear to us.
Our Crisis Management team is in communication daily concerning updates regarding the disease, working in cooperation with our school administration and the Head of School's office to keep the safety of our families as our top priority.
Communication via our school nurse is being shared regularly with our families and on campus, reinforcing personal hygiene best practices.
Teachers are reinforcing best practices, encouraging more frequent hand-washing and the use of hand sanitizer if hand washing is not an option.
Beyond our regular campus cleaning schedule, a team is deep cleaning the building each Sunday evening before the start of the school week.
Teachers have been provided with deep-cleaning supplies for an added layer of daily protection, cleaning all hard surfaces in their classroom at the end of every day.