BB&N's 2021-2022 Opening Plan

welcome TO THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR AT BB&N! With great appreciation for the commitment and support of our uKnighted community of families, faculty, and staff, we are thrilled to report that BB&N will enter this school year fully in person—five days a week and on all three campuses.

In the spirit of continuing to remain a strong, safe, and resilient community, we present here an overview of what the upcoming year will look like across our campuses.

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS SCHOOL | 80 GERRY’S LANDING ROAD | CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138 | WWW.BBNS.ORG

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BB&N Opening Plan VACCINATION RATES AS OF AUGUST 25, 2021 (for eligible community members)

98%

OF AGE-ELIGIBLE BB&N COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE CURRENTLY VACCINATED! • All employees are required to be vaccinated by the start of school, unless they have an approved religious or medical exemption. 100% of our faculty members are fully vaccinated as of 8/25/21.

MASKS • All BB&N community members, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks while indoors or riding on buses.

• This Phase 1 of our mask policy will be in effect until October 8, at which point the school will re-evaluate how to proceed in Phase 2.

VACCINATION RATES

96.5%

164 MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

COVID-19 TESTING • BB&N will administer a regular testing program for all Lower School students. starting the week of 9/13. The program will be conducted in a way that minimizes the impact to instructional time.

• Unvaccinated MS or US School students/families will be required to provide a COVID-19 test at least weekly, at their own cost. Results must be submitted to the school’s Magnus Health System each week.

• Currently, our plan is not to conduct testing of the vaccinated members of our community. We will, of course, continue to monitor this issue and will adapt if the scientific guidance changes. If we were to initiate such a surveillance testing program, it would be voluntary, not mandatory.

98.1%

520 UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS

98.5% 330 EMPLOYEES

PHYSICAL DISTANCING • At the Lower School, students will be distanced 3 feet apart in classrooms, and masked when indoors.

• At the Middle and Upper School campuses, we will maintain reasonable distancing between students.

• Whenever possible this fall, lunch and snacks will be eaten outdoors.

• When lunch is eaten indoors, separate assigned seating will be arranged for unvaccinated students with appropriate distancing in place.

AIR CIRCULATION, VENTILATION, AND CLEANING PRACTICES • Enhanced practices will be incorporated in the operation and maintenance of all air handling and ventilation equipment, including the continued use of MERV13 air filters and the presence of more than 150 HEPA air purifiers schoolwide.

• All indoor spaces on our campuses will be cleaned and disinfected on an enhanced basis and schedule this year.

HAND HYGIENE • Hand hygiene practices—including hand washing and use of hand sanitizer stations—will continue to be taught and reinforced at all grade levels.

STAYING HOME WHEN FEELING UNWELL • Each morning, families/students should assess the student’s state of wellness before coming to school.

• The relevant symptoms to check for on a daily basis can be found here. BB&N will send a weekly reminder about symptom checking to community members each Sunday during the school year.

• If any of the symptoms are present, students should STAY HOME until they feel better and, if warranted, consult with their physician.

BUSES • Masks will be worn by all community members, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, who ride a BB&N bus this year.

• Buses will run at full capacity, and no physical distancing restrictions will be in place.

SCHOOL-ORGANIZED TRIPS

ATHLETICS • The Independent School League (ISL), of which BB&N is a member, is excited to return to a full athletic schedule this fall.

The schedule is on the athletics website.

• Some overnight programs, such as Bivouac, will require participants to be vaccinated.

• If your child is planning to attend an overnight program, proof of vaccination (or a religious or medical exemption) must be on file with the school nurse.

• ISL policies will allow each of the member schools to dictate their own vaccination and testing requirements for interscholastic competitions in which they participate.

• Students with approved exemptions will receive a list of health and safety requirements for the trip at least a week prior to the start of the program. Please note that testing and quarantine are likely to be required before overnight programs.

• This means that unvaccinated student athletes may be unable to participate in some games during the season.

• We are expecting updated guidance from MIAA regarding recommendations for individual sports.

• Field trips will be allowed; BB&N will follow the directives of the host site.

ARTS • We are still awaiting updated guidance in regard to singing and instrumental music activities.

• There is a strong possibility that more stringent requirements will be in place for unvaccinated students participating in these activities.

VISITORS AND EVENTS ON CAMPUS • Visitors will be welcome to BB&N on an invited basis.

• Any invited visitor will need to sign in and be masked at all times while indoors.

• Signage will be present at all our campuses to reinforce this policy.

• This fall, any large gathering or event held on campus will take place outdoors whenever possible.

• Any event involving food must take place outdoors.

REMOTE LEARNING • In-person learning will be the only model offered at BB&N this year; there will be no @Home Learning or remote/Zoom-in option available.

WHAT IF THERE’S A POSITIVE CASE IN OUR COMMUNITY THIS YEAR? • We await updated guidance from state and federal authorities on recommended exposure protocols.

• There is a strong possibility that more stringent requirements will be in place for unvaccinated students who are exposed to a COVID-positive case.

WAYS IN WHICH OUR PROGRAM IS GETTING BACK TO “NORMAL” • No student cohorts

• Weekly (not daily) symptom reminders

• No assigned seating in classrooms, lunches, or buses

• Ability to use lockers, cubbies, and locker rooms

• No box lunches

• More robust athletic and co-curricular activities

• No remote learning option • Two-way navigation through indoor spaces and hallways

• Reduced COVID-19 testing

• Conventional academic schedule every day of the week at all campuses

• Libraries reopen

• Return of the NAC Cafe

WE’RE STAYING VIGILANT & FLEXIBLE! At this point in the summer, trends continue to be better understood relating to the impact of COVID variants and infection/positivity rates. As such, there are several policy areas—such as masking for vaccinated students, faculty, and staff, and COVID testing protocols— where we are going to wait as late as we can this summer to make a decision about how we start the school year. As always, our top priority will be ensuring the health and safety of our entire community, while also balancing the best possible educational experience for our students. We will be sure to keep you updated as the summer progresses.

SUPPORTING RESEARCH DESE/DPH COVID-19 Guidance for Districts and Schools: Fall 2021 ( July 30, 2021) https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop/2021-0730fall-2021-covid19-guidance.pdf

CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools (updated July 9, 2021) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html

CDC Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People ( July 28, 2021) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

Outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 Infections, Including COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, Associated with Large Public Gatherings — Barnstable County, Massachusetts, July 2021 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7031e2.htm

BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS SCHOOL | 80 GERRY’S LANDING ROAD | CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138