Not Your Average Back-to-School Note
Director Vince Durnan shares a not so average back-to-school note as USN begins the 2021-2022 school year.
But here goes. The excellent COVID-19 trend lines of just a month ago, kind of the opposite of what we saw a year ago at that point, have given way to numbers that appear to have grabbed the attention of both public and private sector. Our fair state is even running TV messages to encourage vaccination, at long last. Meanwhile, preparations for a safe and healthy full return to in-person classes at USN continue, with an indoor mask requirement for all, for now, as the most noteworthy adjustment. And, we now have plenty of company in that decision.
If you’re looking for reasons to be upbeat about the path forward, let me offer these as a starter:
- Our reported school community COVID-19 vaccination rate appears to be remarkably high, with the vaccines providing robust protection against infection and even greater protection against serious illness even if infected. It’s worth noting that epidemiological data suggest that protection against reinfection with full vaccination is a multiple of what’s generated by any natural immunity from acquiring an earlier infection.
- With so many eligible family members also already vaccinated, we can better bubble the under-12 students to effectively prevent exposure in the interim before they become vaccine eligible.
- We have ample evidence that school is absolutely possible in masks, even for the youngest in our classrooms, and we’re acclimated to hand hygiene and other basic measures to support our collective health on campus.
- It appears that the intensity of the delta variant spread may generate a more rapid path through the wave it creates, so we don’t need to assume that the mask measure will be necessary for the duration of the year— we will modify as appropriate.
For the moment though, let me underscore both the importance of getting our community vaccinated and the importance of informing our Health Team about that status via the student records on the Magnus platform. That data set will likely help us make key determinations in the weeks ahead as we establish a form of herd immunity while the wider world works through this pandemic of the unvaccinated. If we each resolve to do what we can, being thoughtful about where we go, what we do, and with whom, we can, and from all evidence will, make possible a great start to the school year, putting the immunity in community.
You’ll notice us adjust the events calendar to support these aims. Much as it’s fun to see everyone gather en masse just before classes resume, we’re putting the popsicle party on ice for now. And you’ll notice us keeping any group size to a maximum of a hundred people or so, and we’ll move socializing outdoors wherever that looks viable.
I know there’s an element of déjà vu in all this, but stop for a moment to think how far we’ve come in a year, how different things are, with effective vaccines in hand and six months’ experience getting our shots. Together, at our scale, we can do remarkable things — that much is a fact. Each of us thinking about all of us is the strategy.
Looking forward to getting the big USN gears turning, with our new faculty joining today (and an amazing group it is). I’ll be a little less visible for a couple weeks as the remnants of my summer vacation medical journey metabolize out, but I know it’s just a matter of time. Guessing that’s true in a broader way as we address the public health conditions at hand. Go Tigers.
Stay tuned in, stay committed, and stay well,
Director
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
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USN graduates 98 plus 1 during Commencement
Seniors turned their tassels and graduated from University School of Nashville on Sunday, May 17, on the Back Lawn. Visit usn.org/classof2026 for more highlights from their last year on Edgehill and to learn what they will do next.Read More -
Spring sports season ends with podium finishes, trophies
The girls lacrosse team ended its season in overtime to become state runner-up. Tennis players Carter Kojetin '29 finished as a state quarterfinalist, Sophie Oliver '26 and Mary Kate Adler '28 finished as state semifinalists, and Veer Kodali '29 and Max Parker '29 finished as state champions. Meanwhile, eight runners competed at the state track and field meet in Knoxville, where Griffin Davidson '27, Caleb Freifeld '28, Drew Zwerner '28, and Jack Fruin '27, sprinted to first in the 4x800m relay and Jack also placed first in the 800m dash.Read More -
USN creates the Juliet Douglas Endowed Fund for Student Success
For the entire USN community: an invitation to give in gratitude, in celebration, and in honor of the woman who has given so much to our school. Make a gift at usn.org/giving to support students with needs beyond tuition and honor Interim Director Juliet Douglas.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.