7 | 30 | 20 UPDATE
Opening Plan 2020-2021
Guiding Principles St. Christopher’s School plans for a full, in-person return to campus for all boys in Grades JK-12 for the 2020-2021 school year.
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This plan was formed with a focus on two important areas:
Deliver Our Mission Protect Our Community Our mission to deliver the very best experience for boys is at the heart of all plans and modifications to school operations. Though school will be different this year, we will find creative ways to keep the sense of community alive and to grow and learn together.
The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff is of utmost importance. Preventing an outbreak of COVID-19 requires action at the individual, grade level, divisional, all-campus, and local community levels. In the absence of herd immunity, efforts to ensure health and safety for our students, faculty, and staff will depend on widespread mitigation combined with targeted containment efforts consistent with CDC recommendations and state health guidelines. STC will work in partnership with parents, public health officials, healthcare providers, and the community to address COVID-19.
What you can expect throughout the School especially in the first few weeks of the year:
6ft.
DISTANCING We will maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet to the greatest extent possible throughout the campus, with restricted mixing of classes and groups.
limited GATHERINGS
Outdoor activities/recess will be limited to comply with state guidelines.
COVID-19 is a fluid situation, and local or state guidance could impact some or all of these plans. We will update and adapt as necessary to respond to changing guidance from health or government agencies.
JK-12th FACE COVERINGS
Faculty, staff and students must wear face coverings indoors on campus at all times and outdoors when physical distancing of 6 feet cannot be maintained. We realize masks may create distractions resulting in increased face touching for our youngest Saints, so we will reevaluate our face covering guidance for grades JK-2 several weeks into the start of the school year. The School will provide two masks for every student, faculty and staff member.
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Family Responsibility While the School will take every precaution to mitigate potential COVID exposure, each family plays an important role in ensuring that our community stays healthy.
Vigilance at all times Please be vigilant with social distancing, wearing face coverings when in public spaces, and washing your hands frequently outside of school. The risk of COVID does not go away after school and on weekends. 4
Stay Home if you Have Symptoms
Protect the Community
In addition, it is critical that your son stays home from school if he is showing any signs of illness, COVID-related or otherwise.
We have a shared responsibility to keep our community healthy so that our campus can remain open. Together, we can do this!
Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols include:
Increased daily cleaning throughout campus.
Multiple day porters or custodians in each building will attend to the frequent cleaning of all high-touch surfaces and common-use spaces (including playground equipment) to decrease the risk of infection.
Deep cleaning nightly throughout campus.
Hand sanitizer dispensers will be stationed at all building entrances and in all classrooms/departments.
Ventilation systems were inspected and modified to increase circulation of outdoor air as much as possible.
Touchless faucets were installed in shared bathrooms, and bathrooms will be cleaned frequently.
Enhanced Safety and Cleaning Protocols 5
THE
School Day Carpool Every student and employee will be required to perform a health screen, including a temperature check, before coming to school each day. ■ You will receive a daily notification on your phone
from Ruvna Health prior to coming to school. That notification will prompt you to answer questions related to COVID exposure and symptoms. When you arrive at school, you will need to show the QR code on your phone to a school employee before your son gets out of the car. ■ Morning carpool times for Lower and Middle
Schools will be staggered in the beginning of the school year to minimize wait times.
■ At the start of the school year, temperature
screenings will be conducted by a School employee every morning before allowing boys to enter campus until we have established a healthy baseline. The School reserves the right to do temperature checks at any point during the school year. ■ Boys should be in face coverings before they
exit the car.
Sibling Shuttle The Sibling Shuttle, which usually runs between St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s, will not be offered in the beginning of the school year. We will re-evaluate this offering as the school year progresses.
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Lower School Morning Drop Off: ■
The daily screening will occur from the car during drop-off.
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Boys who pass the daily screening will report directly to their teacher, who will be waiting for them in their homerooms.
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All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian for drop off, including bikers or walkers. The accompanying adult will need to assume responsibility for a child who does not pass the health and/or temperature screening.
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No student may be dropped off before 7:45 am.
JK-2ND GRADES (+ LS SIBLINGS)
3RD-5TH GRADES
• • •
Pepper Avenue Entrance
7:45 am - 8:00 am
8:00 am - 8:15 am
JK at JK House K + siblings in 1st-5th grades at St. Christopher’s Road/Admissions Entrance 1st and 2nd + siblings in 3rd-5th grades at Pepper Avenue Entrance
Afternoon Dismissal: JK-K GRADES
1ST-2ND GRADES
3RD-5TH GRADES
JK at JK House K at St. Christopher’s Road
Pepper Avenue
Pepper Avenue Walk home option*
2:40 pm (M-Th) 2:05 pm (F)
3:00 pm (M-Th) 3:30 pm (M-Th) 2:05 pm (F) 2:30 pm (F)
*Boys in 3rd-5th grades who wish to walk home from school will need to fill out a walking form to be given permission. Please contact the Lower School office to request a form at (804) 282.3185 ext 2377, or email LSAttendance@stcva.org. To limit large group gatherings, Boys may not “walk” after school from campus to local stores/eateries, especially on Friday afternoons. (This does not include boys who have filled out a form to walk directly home after school.) 7
Middle School The daily screening will occur from the car during drop off.
Morning Drop Off: ■ Boys must be dropped off in the carpool circle in front of the Middle School.
No student may be dropped off before 7:40 am.
7:40 am - 8:00 am
8:00 am - 8:10 am
7TH-8TH GRADES
6TH GRADE
will take their bags to their first period class and then gather outside behind the building with physical distancing until the 8 am bell.
will go directly to their first period class. Those with older Middle School siblings may be dropped off with their older sibling.
■ MS students who wish to walk to school will need to complete a permission to walk to school form in order to
do so. Please contact the Middle School office to request a form. ■ The parent driving is responsible for any student in their car who does not pass the symptom and/or temperature check.
Afternoon Dismissal: 6TH GRADE
7TH GRADE
3:20 pm (M-Th) 3:40 pm following athletics 2:35 pm (F) following study hall
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8TH GRADE
4:00 pm following athletics
To limit large group gatherings, Boys may not “walk” after school from campus to local stores/eateries, especially on Friday afternoons. (This does not include boys who have filled out a form to walk directly home after school.)
Upper School Morning Drop Off:
Daily temperature checks will be at assigned locations.
8:00 am ■ Upper School students will begin the day by
reporting to their first class of the day. All students will be expected to complete their daily health screening via the Ruvna Health app prior to their arrival to school. Each student will undergo a temperature screen at the assigned locations (listed below). ■ To reduce the spread of COVID, please discourage
your son from riding in groups with non-family members.
9th
Students should be dropped off in the Athletic Center circle
10th
Students should be dropped off in the circle in front of Chamberlayne Hall on St. Christopher’s Road.
11th
Students will park in the Junior Lot in front of Wilton Hall (Middle School) and proceed to the Center for the Study of Boys door.
12th
Students will park in the Senior Lot and proceed to the door in Chamberlayne Hall nearest the Senior Lot.
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Lunch & Water Bottles We will adjust the use of the dining hall and servery areas to offer lunch in a manner consistent with CDC and Virginia Department of Health guidance.
Every boy should bring a filled reusable water bottle from home. Most water fountains have been replaced with an automatic water filler. All of the drinking spouts on existing water fountains will be removed or disabled to prevent the spread of infection.
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Physical distancing will be maintained at all times with proper hand hygiene before and after eating.
LOWER SCHOOL boys will eat lunch outdoors under shade as weather permits or inside their classrooms.
MIDDLE SCHOOL boys will use the outdoor field/athletic stands for lunch as much as weather permits or inside designated areas in the Field House.
LUNCH SERVICE OPT-IN
School Lunch provided by Flik Dining
UPPER SCHOOL boys will have adjusted schedules to allow for two lunch seatings. Boys will use designated areas throughout the Luck Leadership Center or outside, weather permitting. Thorough cleaning of the area will be performed between periods.
■ Individually packaged lunches with disposable
utensils will be provided for boys who opt-in to lunch service. Sample lunch menu. ■ The month of September will be a trial period for
families who opt-in. If at the end of September you would like to opt-out, you will only be charged for lunch for September. If you continue with lunch after September, you are committed to school lunch through December and will be billed for the entire period. ■ You will receive an email in August asking for your
opt-in or opt-out decision for each student. Previously charged annual lunch fees have been removed from student accounts. If you opt-in, a lunch fee will be re-applied.
LUNCH SERVICE OPT-OUT
Lunch from Home ■ For the 2020-2021 school year only, boys may opt
to bring their own peanut and tree nut-free lunch from home. ■ Boys who bring lunch will not have access to
refrigeration or microwaves. ■ No food may be delivered from parents, delivery
services, or area restaurants after morning drop-off. ■ Boys who forget to bring their lunch from home will
have a lunch provided by Flik at a cost.
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Recess, Free Periods and Co-curriculars Recess will be offered daily in Lower and Middle Schools with the following changes:
Lower School ■
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Recess will be held predominantly outside. Playgrounds may be available on a limited basis, with cleaning in between sessions. Boys will remain in their homeroom cohort to limit mixing with other classes and will maintain physical distancing to decrease the risk of infection. Boys will wash/sanitize hands following recess.
Middle School ■ Recess space will be divided by
■ All Upper School students will be
grade level to provide adequate space for distancing.
assigned to a supervised study hall during free periods. Where feasible, outdoor spaces will be used as determined by the study hall proctor so students may partake in outdoor activities with proper distancing and safety measures.
■ Shared equipment will be kept
to a minimum. ■ Certain games that result in close
contact between boys will be off limits (Spikeball, wall ball, etc.). ■ Walking, passing a ball between a
pair, or kicking a soccer ball without playing a game and similar activities are permitted activities for recess. ■ During inclement weather, recess
will be held in the gym in gradelevel designated spaces to limit mixing of groups and allow for adequate physical distancing. ■ Boys will wash/sanitize hands
following recess. 12
Upper School
■ Meditation and yoga may be
offered during certain free periods throughout the day with advanced scheduling and proper distancing and safety measures.
PE and Athletics
LOWER SCHOOL PE will take place outdoors as much as weather allows four days per week. Boys will participate in activities with physical distancing and other safety measures in place.
MIDDLE SCHOOL 6th graders will have PE daily at 1:50 pm. Boys will take part in activities that are outdoors as much as weather allows and will be physically distanced to the greatest extent possible.
Boys will wear face coverings when traveling to and from PE but not during physical activity since they will be physically distanced and outdoors.
Boys will not have locker room access, so they will participate in PE in their school attire. Dress code will be relaxed while locker rooms are closed. More details to come.
Sharing of objects will be limited with thorough cleaning between use where some sharing is unavoidable.
Interscholastic league competition will not occur before at least Oct. 1. Low-risk sports may resume at that point. Click here to read more.
Art, Music, Ensembles and Performing Arts LOWER SCHOOL â– All boys, JK-5, will still have their regularly-scheduled art and music classes each week. â– Rehearsals for fine arts ensembles (choir, band, and strings) will be optional and will not take place during the school day so that we do not mix homeroom classes. We are currently discussing the potential for after school and virtual options. MIDDLE SCHOOL Performance music groups will be split into grade-specific groups and/or sectionals, with appropriate spacing to safely conduct practices.
UPPER SCHOOL Musical and performing arts groups will continue with significant modifications in place to limit the risk of infection. More information to follow at a later date.
Extended Day
Optional After-School Offerings
Extended Day will be offered for registered boys and girls in grades JK - 8. The 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm pick-up options remain unchanged. Additional information will be sent in early August to the families of students who are registered for the program.
Some after-school offerings that are normally provided by non-STC employees will be suspended for the fall semester. These include private music lessons, afternoon enrichment, and speech. We will revisit this policy for the spring semester. 13
New Policies & Procedures Required Magnus Health Forms
The following sections must be completed in Magnus prior to the first day of school. Your child will NOT BE ALLOWED on campus if any of the following sections are incomplete: ■ Vital Health Record ■ Permission to Treat ■ Permission to Dispense Non-prescription medication ■ VA Immunization Record (only if you are: new student, students in JK, K, and 7th grade) ■ Prescription Medication Administration Form (Must be submitted per prescription medication that will be administered at school) ■ Emergency Medication Forms if indicated: Food Allergy Action Plan, Asthma Action Plan, Diabetes Action Plan, Seizure Action Plan ■ Emergency contacts must be updated with designated individuals who are not at higher risk for COVID infection and can promptly pick up your child in the event of significant illness diagnosed during the school day
COVID Acknowledgement and Indemnification
All parents are required to sign a COVID acknowledgement before the first day of school. The required form will be distributed electronically to parents in early August. Students will not be able to come to school without a signed acknowledgement.
Illness during the school day
To maintain the health and safety of our community, students with fever (greater than 100 degrees F), vomiting, diarrhea, evidence of live lice, or other signs/symptoms of contagious illness, including COVID-like symptoms, must be picked up from school as soon as possible by a parent/guardian or designated emergency contact and remain at home for treatment and recovery.
COVID Policies
Students, parents, and faculty/ staff are required to report a confirmed COVID diagnosis or confirmed 14
COVID exposure confidentially to the divisional school nurse or the Director of Health Services immediately upon diagnosis. The health staff will provide guidance throughout recovery and assist with school reentry. If your son is waiting on the results of a COVID test, he should remain at home until the test results are final. IF THERE IS A CONFIRMED COVID CASE ON CAMPUS: ■ Parents of students in an affected class and affected faculty/staff will receive a notification via email followed by contact by the divisional health staff. ■ Confidentiality of the diagnosed student or teacher will be maintained according to the Americans with Disabilities Act. ■ The communication will include clear instruction and explanation of whether quarantine measures have been recommended by the Virginia Department of Health. ■ Children and faculty who are in close contact with an individual confirmed to be infected by COVID will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes. The quarantine will begin at the start of the next school day. (You will not need to come pick up your child mid-day.) ■ Siblings are not required to observe the quarantine unless the exposed individual develops symptoms and/ or tests positive for COVID. ■ Distance learning will be provided to ensure continuity of learning during the quarantine. IF A STUDENT PRESENTS WITH SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS SUSPICIOUS FOR COVID DURING THE SCHOOL DAY: ■ The divisional health staff will be consulted if a student presents with illness suspicious for COVID, and the student will be escorted to and assessed in a Contained Care Unit. ■ Contained Care Units are isolated areas with proper ventilation where Health Staff in PPE can perform medical assessment for students with COVID-like symptoms, including but not limited to, fever, malaise,
chills, cough, congestion, rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache. ■ Unit will be cleaned and disinfected per CDC recommendations. ■ In non-emergency cases, a student will remain in isolation under the supervision of staff nearby until he is taken home with expected follow up with his medical provider. Parents/ guardians are expected to arrive within 30 minutes as much as they are able. ■ If a student is experiencing significant shortness of breath or evidence of hypoxia, parents/ legal guardian will be notified promptly and asked to transport the student to the nearest medical center, or EMS will be called depending on the level of severity of symptoms. ■ In the event that both parents or legal guardians are unable to be reached, emergency contacts will be notified.
Face Coverings
Boys may also wear masks from home. We ask for discretion and thoughtfulness if your son wears a mask that was not issued from the School. Masks should not display any sayings, offensive, or inappropriate images on them. If a boy forgets his mask, or if the mask violates any of the above requirements, a disposable mask will be provided, for a limited number of instances.
The School will provide two masks for every boy, faculty, and staff member.
Bathroom Use
Bathrooms will be limited to single-user occupancy at all times.
Traffic Flow in Buildings
Some buildings may have new traffic flows to create one-way hallways or stairwells. Buildings will be clearly marked. Boys should follow those signs carefully.
cell phones in their backpacks, but they must be turned off, not just silenced.
Field Trips
There will be no large group gatherings or field trips in the fall semseter.
Coordination with St. Catherine’s
In a typical year, St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s Upper School students mix frequently on each other’s campuses. This year, interaction on the campuses will be limited, especially in the first semester.
Visitors on Campus
We will strictly limit visitors on campus while classes are in session, including parents and other members of the community. This is a particularly difficult measure for us, as part of what makes St. Christopher’s so special is the abundance of parents and other volunteers who are on campus on any given day. Please know that this measure is temporary, and we hope to return to an open campus later in the school year, once we know that our community’s health and safety can be maintained.
Breakfast, Dinner & Saints’ Café
We have suspended breakfast, dinner, and Saints’ Café offerings for the beginning of the school year. We will revisit this policy later in the fall and hope to return to normal service at some point during the year.
Protecting Vulnerable Members of our Community
Staff and students at higher risk for illness from COVID will be supported to the extent possible. ■ If on campus, individuals will be provided with PPE or additional protection in addition to 6 feet physical distance at all times, to the greatest extent possible. ■ Distance learning options will be made available for vulnerable students and staff who are at high risk for infection or those instructed to quarantine due to exposure, depending on the situation and job duties.
Chapel
Chapel will take place outdoors, in large indoor spaces with ample physical distancing, and/or in classrooms, both in person and via Zoom. Group sizes will be limited in order to decrease the risk of infection.
Lockers (MS and US)
Lockers will not be used for at least the fall semester. Boys will carry items in their backpacks. Boys may keep 15
Supporting Each Other
We realize this continues to be a very stressful time. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the many resources available to you should you or your son need it. ALL SCHOOL Ann Vanichkachorn, M.D., Director of Health Services (804) 282-3185 x 4321 UPPER SCHOOL ■ The Rev. Whitney Edwards, Upper School Chaplain (804) 282-3185 x4311 ■
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LOWER SCHOOL ■
The Rev. Darren Steadman, Lower School Chaplain (804) 282-3185 x2378
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Catherine Graves, Lower School Counselor (804) 282-3185 x2281
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Taylor Thomas, Lower School Nurse (804) 282-3185 x2373
SCHOOL READINESS TASK FORCE Mr. Ed Cowell (Chair), Director of Community & Inclusion Ms. Sharon Dion, Director of Communications
Sazshy Valentine, Upper School Counselor (804) 282-3185 x4609
Dr. Warren Hunter, Head of Middle School
John Green, Upper School Dean of Students (804) 282-3185 x4657
Dr. Sarah Mansfield, Interim Head of Lower School/ Assistant Head of School
Mr. Mason Lecky, Headmaster
Mr. David Reynolds, CFO/COO MIDDLE SCHOOL ■ The Rev. Durk Steed, Middle School Chaplain (804) 282-3185 x3365 ■
John Tyler, Middle School Counselor (804) 282-3185 x3390
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Christie Wilson, Middle School Director of Student Life (804) 282-3185 x2626
Plan as of 7/30/20
Mr. Tony Szymendera, Head of Upper School Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn, Director of Health Services
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