Buffalo Weekly - Nov 17, 2021

BAH, HUMBUG! SCROOGE'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

Secondary Christmas Program 2021

A greedy old man, four ghosts, and dancing shoppers on the streets of London? It might not sound like the cheerful Christmas scenes that we’re used to, but this is exactly where audience members will be transported for this year’s secondary Christmas production, Bah, Humbug! Scrooge’s Christmas Carol.

This musical take on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, A Christmas Carol, takes viewers on a journey to old London, where the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four spirits, including the Spirit of Christmas Past, Spirit of Christmas Present, and Spirit of Christmas Future. As these spirits force Scrooge to confront the difficult events of his life and the consequences of his choices, one question remains: After a life of harshness and greed, can Scrooge learn to love his neighbors and embrace the joy of Christmas?

Secondary Drama, Choir, and Fashion Design students have been hard at work learning lines, lyrics, and dances and preparing costumes for WYIS’ very first musical. We are so excited to take on this new and challenging production, and we can’t wait to share it with you! Please read below for important ticketing and show time information.

Two Performances & Ticketing:
This year we are happy to offer two performances of Bah, Humbug! This is to give students multiple opportunities to perform their hard work, as well as to comply with local COVID-19 regulations from the Wuhan Education Bureau.

Per these new regulations, seating will be limited and tickets are required for admission. All tickets will be free of charge. More ticketing information will be coming soon.

Performance Dates:
• Friday, December 3, 7:00-8:30 PM (doors open at 6:45 PM)
• Saturday, December 4, 2:30-4:00 PM (doors open at 2:15 PM)

Merry Christmas from WYIS Performing Arts!

NEW POLICIES & HOURS FOR CAMPUS

Beginning December 1, 2021

The safety of our WYIS community is always our first priority. While our primary attention is usually on our students during regular school hours, we recognize that times both before and after school also require consideration. After reviewing our campus use and the support required to keep our students and families as safe as possible, we have established new policies and hours for our campus. These policies and hours are effective beginning December 1, 2021.

We emailed all WYIS families this week with this information and rationale. Below is a summary of the new policies and guidelines

• Campus opens at 7:30. Cars may drive through before that time, if needed, but students must stay in cars until 7:30. Students who are not in cars cannot enter campus gates until 7:30.
• Students on campus between 7:30 and 7:50 (7:45 for secondary) are not allowed to roam or play on campus. Rather, they must wait at their assigned door until the building opens.
• Our building closes at 5, and our campus closes at 6. Students (G5 and under) who remain on campus after hours must be supervised by their parent.

We will soon have signs on our playgrounds and soccer fields to make these hours and guidelines more visible. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure a safe and healthy WYIS community.

MEDICAL ABSENCES

The Education Bureau has asked that we monitor absences due to illness as part of COVID-19 health protocol. To comply with this mandate, any time a student or staff is absent because of illness, they are required to complete a form to inform us of their symptoms on the day of their absence.

If your child is absent due to an illness, please complete the Medical Absence form, which is conveniently located on our WeChat menu and website. For privacy purposes, information will be directly received by the school nurse.

HEALTH ADVISORY: FLU SEASON

It’s flu season again. The clinic has recorded several absences and clinic visits due to cough and colds over the past three weeks. Infectious illnesses are easily spread in communities like schools, and we would like to stay on track in keeping protocols to prevent outbreak. Please be reminded of the following:

• Review our sick child policy on our website for complete guidelines
• Fill out the Medical Absence Form (on our WeChat menu) when your child is absent due to illness
• Please wear a mask
• Wash your hands frequently
• Keep your sick child at home to protect others

Additionally, we have also received reports of chicken pox and a variant of Hand foot and mouth disease (HMFD) among our neighboring schools. We are closely monitoring absences and clinic visits to detect cases. The table below is the standardized guidelines of the CDC and Education Bureau to control the outbreak of the diseases. Please refer to the table for the symptoms you should look for, when to come back to school, and when suspension of classes will be implemented and for how many days.