COVID-19 Update (3-13-2020)

By: Casey Robinson on Mar 13, 2020 | Categories: General

March 13, 2020

Dear Parents, Guardians and Camden Military Family,

Due to the national outbreak of COVID-19 and out of an abundance of caution, Camden Military Academy has decided to cancel the 2020 Spring Break. After consulting with government officials and much consideration, this decision was reached keeping in mind the health of our cadets and their families. Camden Military Academy currently has cadets from 36 different states. Therefore, CMA’s administration has determined that the best decision is to err on the side of caution. With this decision, there will be many questions and we will attempt to address those in the bullet points below. Thank you for your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.

-Cadets will attend class over the planned Spring Break dates. However, if any families have Spring Break plans that require your son to leave campus for the break, please make sure that he takes home all books and supplies as he will be expected to complete assignments that he is missing.

-Any families having their son depart campus for the break, must understand that cadets may be asked to stay at home for an extended period of time due to places visited or if they reside in areas that government officials deem a “hot spot.”

- CMA administration is strongly discouraging the use of air travel or public transportation. Any cadet who utilizes public transportation may be required to remain at home for an undetermined time of quarantine.

-Assignments will be given to those cadets who must remain at home in quarantine. Please be sure that any deadlines for assignments are met so that we can ensure your child receives full academic credit.

-Any decision to depart campus for a furlough or Spring Break is a parental decision. The CMA administration strongly encourages families to have their son remain on campus for the planned Spring Break period and furloughs. Please note that remaining on campus does not guarantee that a cadet will not contract the virus, but it certainly minimizes the risk that comes along with travelling and being in large crowds.

-If a parent chooses to take their cadet off campus for Spring Break or furlough, please keep a travel log of where the cadet travelled to and how the student was transported.

-If there is a need for quarantine or isolation either at home or school, we will follow directives from local health government authorities and our school physicians.

-The school year will end one week early. Graduation will take place on Sunday, May 10, 2020. We realize that plans may have been made for the original graduation date but because the duration and effects of the COVID-19 outbreak is unknown, we believe that the “shortening” of the school year is best while still being able to award cadets full academic credit.

-All cadet off-campus activities will remain cancelled. This policy is subject to change with any increase or decrease of COVID-19.

Again, Camden Military Academy’s administration made these decisions with keeping our corps of cadets’ health a top priority. If you have any questions, please contact Col. Boland at 803-432-6001, Mr. Casey Robinson at 803-432-6001 or email . Also, please continue to monitor the Camden Military Academy’s blog, the “red bar” at the top of our website as well as CMA’s official social media platforms for any future updates.

Once again, thank you for your understanding and cooperation during these unprecedented times.

God Bless,

Eric Boland

COL, Headmaster

Camden Military Academy

Updates as of 3/13/2020

Col. Boland has also met with the State Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control as well as the CEO of Prisma Health and the CEO of our local hospital, Kershaw Health. Col. Boland is in contact with state and local health authorities daily. He has daily conversations with the Department of Health and Environmental Control concerning any protocols that may be placed in effect due to COVID-19.

All spring sports games and contests have been suspended until further notice. We will continue to have on campus sports practice.

All hot food deliveries have been suspended except pizza deliveries to the Carlisle House.

The academy will make academic arrangements for any parent who wishes to have their cadet at home for an extended time during this COVID-19 event. Please adhere to assignment guidelines and deadlines. If you choose to keep your son at home for an extended period of time, please contact academy.

Below are questions and answers that were received from parents since

Col. Boland’s March 12 letter.

Can my son leave campus for doctor’s appointments or planned furloughs?

Yes, parents can choose to have cadets leave campus, but we want our cadets who do leave to exercise extreme caution in protecting other cadets. CMA is strongly encouraging all students to remain on campus. Any cadet who leaves campus for any reason may face quarantine upon arriving back on campus if deemed necessary by our medical staff.

Will the graduation date change again?

The graduation date is planned for May 10 and will not be changed.

Are other graduation activities cancelled that were planned for the original graduation weekend?

All planned graduation activities will take place on the new graduation weekend of May 8-10. However, the situation continues to remain fluid and some activities could be altered.