Our on-campus program will provide a 5-day week for every child and student. The Lower School (Nursery-Grade 6) program will be available for seven (7) hours every day (between 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM), depending on staggered arrivals and dismissals. In the Upper School (Grades 7-12), students will spend approximately four (4) hours on campus each day, complementing their in-school studies with online distance learning. We are re-designing the use of our two buildings to carefully limit physical contact as much as possible. Young students will remain in self-contained cohorts in designated spaces. In the few instances when older students are in mixed groups, ample distance between students will be provided.
Early Childhood
Early Childhood classrooms will function as self-contained “pods,” with a consistent group of children and teachers remaining together throughout.
Our Early Childhood program is play-based, and pre-academic, working through a rich, story and song-filled environment that offers ample opportunities for small and large motor development, as well as social skill building through free play and gently guided activities.
During the 2020-2021 school year, we will focus on the following:
- Increased outdoor time
- Indoor spaces that continue to reflect our beautiful aesthetics and values with personal toys and play surfaces that are easier to clean and disinfect
- Revised pickup and drop-off times, and additional procedures to allow for safe physical distancing in the Lower School building
- Age-appropriate, creative, and gentle education about face covering-wearing, handwashing, physical distancing, and other health precautions
- Dedicated private areas within the classroom for young children needing “face covering breaks,” where they can maintain physical distance while under the supervision of an Early Childhood teacher
- Familiar rhythm, structure, and warmth to offer a reassuring environment to the young children
Elementary School (Grades 1-3)
Classes in the earliest grades will be led by the consistent presence of the Class Teacher (with an Assistant Teacher in Grades 1 and 2). We will teach special subjects such as world languages, crafts, and movement in intensive blocks lasting for several weeks. In this way, each of these youngest grades will be held at any given time by a small cohort of teachers to minimize possible contacts across the Lower School building and to maximize flexibility for using outdoor spaces as much as possible.
Elementary School (Grades 4-6)
In these grades, subject lessons expand, and specialists begin to work with the class in courses such as woodwork, instrumental music, English, and math to complement the steady presence of the Class Teacher in Main Lesson. As older children maintaining physical distancing aligns more easily with typical behavior, the number of teachers visiting the class can slowly increase. However, teaching subjects in blocks will still take place to reduce the variety of possible contacts. Children will remain in self-contained cohorts in their classroom and outdoors.
Middle School and High School (Grades 7-12)
While on campus, students will largely remain in self-contained cohorts in classrooms designed for physical distancing. In most grades, in-school time will be primarily devoted to extended Main Lesson work and to work in the fine arts, practical arts, and laboratory. Other courses, including math, science, English, history, world languages, and others will take place either entirely online, or with a blend of in-school and online learning. This will allow us to preserve the richness of the curriculum, including the elective choices in the upper grades, while limiting traffic through shared spaces.