Face coverings will be required of all employees and all students (pre-K3 through 12) upon entering and exiting the building to mitigate exposure to COVID-19. In grade levels where face coverings are not developmentally appropriate (i.e. pre-K3 through Grade 2), physical distancing and strict segmenting of classes will be in place. Based on guidance from medical professionals, specifically pediatric specialists, we’re requiring face coverings all day for Grades 3-12

While we look forward to resuming some normalcy for our community, we acknowledge this is a new normal. Since March, the school has engaged and collaborated with internal and external experts to determine the safest way to return our students and faculty to the classroom. We feel confident our plan is providing an environment that will mitigate risk, but we are not able to eliminate completely the risk of COVID-19 in our community. The social-emotional and physical well-being of our students remain our top priority, and that requires significant changes for the school to reopen safely.

COVID-19 is a public health emergency. It will continue to be a risk to our community for the foreseeable future, and it will require adjustments and understanding to return students and teachers to the classroom. Parents and family members will NOT be permitted to enter the school beyond the designated outside drop-off and pick-up area. This change is for the safety of everyone present in the school and to limit to the extent possible everyone’s risk of exposure.

Norfolk Collegiate is asking families and employees to complete a daily health screening in Magnus Mobile before 7:30 a.m. This is a critical component to helping the school community maintain a healthy environment and reduce risk to students, faculty and staff. Collegiate does not plan to implement a community testing program for COVID-19. Our efforts will be on mitigating contact and exposure through systematic precautions and physical distancing. Community members who are tested and receive positive tests are expected to inform the school. We will be in communication with the the Virginia Department of Health. Such communication will support our efforts to maintain a safe environment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Interim Considerations for K-12 School Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing,” “universal SARS-CoV-2 testing of all students and staff in school settings has not been systematically studied. It is not known if testing in school settings provides any additional reduction in person-to-person transmission of the virus beyond what would be expected with implementation of other infection preventive measures (e.g., social distancing, cloth face covering, hand washing, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting). Therefore, CDC does not recommend universal testing of all students and staff.”

The Norfolk Collegiate community is united in our efforts to keep students in the classroom and reduce exposure. We ask our families to help control students’ exposure outside of school. We strongly recommend our families comply with all state and local health and safety guidelines and follow any current CDC guidelines. Outside of work and school attendance, the CDC currently recommends limiting close contact with others outside of those living in your household, including refraining from all non-essential outings, wearing face coverings in all public areas and remaining 6 feet from all other people.

During this time, no list of restrictions, guidelines or practices will remove 100% of the risk of exposure to COVID-19 as the virus can be transmitted by persons who are asymptomatic and before people show signs of infection.