各位老师、家长、义工和同学：

在鼠年新春到来之际，希望中文学校理事会给大家拜年，祝大家在新的一年里健康快乐，事业有成，学业进步！

最近国内爆发的新型冠状病毒肺炎，已经迅速蔓延到多个国家。美国已经出现两例确诊病例，大华府地区也有疑似病例出现。作为大华府地区最大的中文学校，我们需要对此保持高度的警惕。希望中文学校理事会执委会于1月23日晚召开紧急电话会议，认真讨论了这一突发情况，并作出如下应对措施：

1. 希望中文学校是否照常上课，将根据各校区所在的公立学校的决定而定，如公立学校不因疫情而关门，则中文学校照常上课。
2. 如学校照常开课，家长可自行决定是否送学生上课。校方完全尊重家长的决定。
3. 家庭中有成员近期从国内来，为防万一，请自愿隔离两星期。教师或义工如近期访问过疫区或近距离接触过来自疫区的访客，请严格执行两星期隔离措施。即使不是国内回来的，但有感冒症状的，也请不要去学校。在加强自我保护的同时，也请尊重他人的健康和社区卫生安全。

如有疑问，请与所在校区校长或所在班级的老师联系。有关新型冠状病毒肺炎的预防和治疗，请参见CDC指南 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/prevention.html

谢谢大家合作！大灾面前，让我们希望人团结起来，互相鼓励，共度时艰。

希望中文学校理事会

Dear teachers, parents, volunteers and students:

Happy Chinese Lunar New Year! On behalf of the Hope Chinese School Board, we wish you all a healthy and happy new year and success in your careers and studies.

The recent outbreak of coronavirus in China has rapidly spread to many areas. Two cases were confirmed in the United States and suspected cases have appeared in the Greater Washington area. As the largest chinese school system in DC Metro area, we need to remain vigilant. The executive committee of the Chinese School Board held an emergency conference call on the evening of January 23, 2020. All members seriously discussed the on-going situation and agreed to the following countermeasures:

1. All Hope Chinese Schools will remain open as usual. The decision is made based on the current, local public school emergency closing policies and procedures where each campus is located.

2. We fully respect the decision of any of our students and/or parents not to attend our weekend schools.

3. If anybody from the family recently came back from China, we ask you to please stay at home for at least two weeks. Teachers or volunteers who visited the epidemic area in the past month (Jan/Dec) or who have come in close contact with visitors from any epidemic area, should strictly implement the two-week isolation measures.

In addition, please do not go to school if you have any cold or flu symptoms even if you have not visited China or been in contact with anybody from China.

We hope everyone understands their responsibility to help keep the community safe and healthy. These precautions are in place for everyone's benefit.

If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the principal of your school district or the teacher of your class.

For the prevention and treatment of new coronavirus pneumonia, see the CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/prevention.html

Thank you for your cooperation! The new year presents us all with the opportunity to come together and be our best selves. In the face of this disease outbreak let us all remain vigilant and work together to keep the community safe and thriving.

Hope Chinese School Board