By Frank Merillat
It is exciting times at FSM, we just started our first in person orientation for the new October class last Wednesday, October 6th. This is the first in-person orientation we’ve had since January 2020. To quote the Grateful Dead, “what a long strange trip its been.”
In response to the COVID pandemic we closed the school in mid March 2020. At that time we had a class close to graduation, just weeks away, and a new class that had recently started. We managed to get the graduating class completed through some virtual work and some written assignments. The students had their graduation ceremony on line, which is not the same as in person. The January 2020 class was basically put on hold until we could find a safe way to begin again. Many of these students showed great patience as they waited to again begin their journey through the program. It was a bit of a long wait as we were not able to feel safe to begin again until January of 2021.
We restarted as a virtual learning environment. The virtual classes focused on the linear aspects of the program, A&P, Kinesiology, communication, business and the like. Students had one three hour class a day and alternated between the subject matter. Instructors and students alike had to figure out Zoom and then Teams as a format to interact with the material. Students worked from home and instructors were at times home and in our on line studio set up in the library. It was quite a learning experience. I will say that when it began I wondered what the results might be and I must say that the results were much better that I would have imagined. The students really made it work.
Then came May and Bob, our director, felt it would be possible to restart in-person learning again. To do this required establishing protocols to ensure the greatest amount of safety for students and staff. The protocols were established, presented to the students and staff, accepted and followed and we have been able to have the school community we so love about FSM. While we have had students who needed to quarantine due to exposure or actually contracting the virus, we have not had any community spread at the school.
In order to stop the spread, we have an active self-screening process that is done daily by each person who will be coming to campus each day. If they do not feel well or are absent the report to Bob who co-ordinates this process. If they have to miss class due to COVID related issues the absences are excused and there is a process to get made up without any penalty. This has given ease to the fear of being absent and incomplete, thus people do not attend if they don’t feel well. If they feel poorly while at school, they are asked to go home. We then have COVID testing procedures before returning to class. This has been quite successful.
We also wear masks when in the buildings, keep social distance, space the tables when doing massage class, use only our own sheets when on the table, and work with the same partner on a given day. All this has allowed us to reduce the chance of group spread and to contact trace in case of exposure. For a time each group stayed in their own room when in class, again limiting the chance of group spread. Again, this allowed us to keep the program growing.
Do note the school is not open to outside visitors at this time. Tours are being given virtually. Where before we welcomed former students to visit class and the grounds, at this time we are keeping the campus closed to protect the students and staff. One exception, the bookstore is open for getting massage related and other desired items. With the school now open and two classes in process, the professional clinic has just reopened and is accepting clients as well. Be aware you must where a mask if you do come to the store or the professional clinic.
The fact that these procedures are in place and being followed has allowed me personally to be less fearful of sickness. I cannot express strongly enough my appreciation for both the students and staff for adhering to these standards and keeping us safe and able to be in community. We do continue to follow the protocols on a daily basis. The October 2021 class is now back to a more regular in-person schedule and getting to feel the FSM experience start to finish.
We have also started scheduling workshop classes as well. Deane Juhan will be returning to FSM January 15-17, that’s Martin Luther King weekend. I am excited to have this excellent instructor and body worker coming back to present his next installment of his Resistance/Release approach and a great introduction to the Trager Approach. Deane is the author of Job’s Body, A Body Workers Handbook, this is a book about the movement body covering the anatomy, physiology and why touch therapy works. It is also an opportunity to spend time with a talented body worker who works with both the body and the mind. Check out the class on the FSM website under graduate programs/workshops for more information.
It is an exciting time as we begin to open up the school again. I know I sure appreciate the opportunity to be back in community again and look forward to seeing you sometime in the hopefully, near future.
Be well and keep the faith, and again from the Grateful Dead, “Keep On Truckin’!!
