Reopening 2020: Planning, Preparation, Progress & Protocols (July 2020)

B RU N SW I C K S C H O O L

REOPENING 2020 BRUNSWICK SCHOOL

Reopening 2020 Planning, Preparation, Progress & Protocols J U LY 2 0 2 0

B RU N SW I C K S C H O O L

REOPENING 2020

An Introductory Message

‘ Our two greatest priorities: A safe and healthy experience for all, and as much normalcy as possible.’

To view the video message, click on the circle/arrow.

– THOMAS W. PHILIP Head of School

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REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

IT IS OUR OVERRIDING DESIRE, and our clear intent, to reopen — and, in doing so, to provide a challenging, supportive, uplifting, and, above all else, healthy Brunswick School experience for all.

Based on consultation with our own medical consultants, we are, at this point, working under the assumption that school will open as scheduled on Tuesday, September 8.

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Implementation Team

B RU N SW I C K S C H O O L

REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

Tom Philip HEAD OF SCHOOL

Sarah Burdett CHIEF INTEGRATION OFFICER/ COVID COORDINATOR

Patrick Andren CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

WE MUST ALSO REMIND AND CONCEDE that, should levels of

Kathleen Harrington

infection change at any point in our immediate region, there always remains the possibility that a directive might emanate from the Governor’s office requiring a phasing back of reopening plans and/or even a return to remote learning. It is important to note, however, that other than acting on a direct executive order from the Governor, independent schools in Connecticut are encouraged to reach their own, respective decisions regarding the format and timing of the new school year.

Brunswick’s multifaceted planning and preparation during the two months and more have been significantly guided by

Rick Beattie

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Doug Burdett ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Emma Eschricht PRE AND LOWER SCHOOL NURSE

Marc Strileckis ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Virginia Martin MIDDLE SCHOOL NURSE

William Perkins UPPER SCHOOL HEALTH OFFICER

Gina Hurd PRE SCHOOL HEAD

Katie Signer LOWER SCHOOL HEAD

Rob Follansbee MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

Ron VanBelle DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Chuck Redahan DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE

Daniel Griffin DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

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REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

advice and recommendations made in two comprehensive and expert documents: ◾ The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s

Schools and Childcare Programs: Plan, Prepare, and Respond, first published May 26 and most recently updated July 24. To review the CDC’s document, click here. ◾ The American Academy of Pediatrics’ COVID-19 Planning

Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry, first published June 25. To review the AAP document, click here.

Opening as planned and — equally important — staying open, is only possible as a result of, and will only be possible with, continued and focused attention to the following:

Brunswick’s reopening strategies have taken into thorough consideration expert guidance for schools from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

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REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

Already in Place ◾ Appropriately distanced and individualized classroom furniture. ◾ Careful attention to student cohorting and contact-tracing

patterns to the greatest extent possible (easier in the younger age groups; harder in the upper grades). ◾ Schedule of frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces in classrooms

and other school facilities. ◾ Revised drop-off and pick-up schedules to avoid crowding at

entry-ways and exits. ◾ Well-placed and numerous signs throughout all school buildings

with reminders regarding appropriate distancing, hand-washing, and mask wearing. ◾ Newly established COVID-related protocols for students and

TOP Brunswick is fortunate to have the space to address this great challenge. At the Lower School, classrooms have been reconfigured and desks placed six feet apart.

BOTTOM Outdoor signage makes it clear that new, COVID-related campus protocols are in place.

faculty alike.

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REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

On a Daily, Ongoing Basis ◾ Fulfillment and submission of the daily, morning health-

check prior to arrival each day. ◾ Strict adherence to mask-wearing, distancing, and hand-washing

protocols, both at school and while off-campus and in public spaces. ◾ Responsible adherence to the same expectations while off school

grounds and on weekends.

Plexiglass shields now safeguard visitors and reception staff on all campuses, as shown here, at the Middle School’s frontentrance reception desk.

◾ Vigilant self-monitoring of possible symptoms and possible illness. ◾ Open and transparent communication between home and school

regarding student and household health and related school protocols. ◾ Continued local success in containing the virus and related infection rates. ◾ Flexibility by all concerned (parents, students, and faculty alike)

regarding any/all COVID-related developments.

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REOPENING 2020 | An Introductory Message

To promote and ensure understanding of and compliance with Brunswick’s COVID-related protocols, all families and students will be required to read and sign a comprehensive contract, entitled Parent Informed Consent and Social Contract and Student Social Contract: COVID-19. We will need a signed copy of this contract from each parent as well as from each Upper School student well in advance of our planned opening on September 8.

Please be on the lookout for a very important email that will arrive in the days just ahead, with the subject REQUEST: Completion of Health, Acknowledgement & Permission Forms.

That request will include instructions on accessing and signing this document.

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REOPENING 2020

Institutional Principles FOR THE PAST 118 YEARS, throughout dramatic change of

the last century and developing new one, Brunswick has stayed true to its founding goals and intent.

Believing that “the combination of a good home and a good school, working in intelligent cooperation, can give more than any school can give alone,� our founder advocated day-school over boarding-school education.

The enduring value of that vision, most especially the shared responsibility of family and school, seems especially plain today.

Brunswick recognizes that reopening comes with unique responsibilities for everyone, including the School itself, but also parents, students, and faculty.

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REOPENING 2020 | Institutional Principles

In general, those shared responsibilities include being open to new information, following and modeling all health protocols, closely monitoring and communicating our own health status and those in our households, and, finally, understanding that families must make their own decisions as they weigh the degree of risk with which they are comfortable in terms of having their son return to Brunswick.

As outlined in an earlier communication, in our reopening plan, Brunswick is guided by these general principles: ◞  To take every reasonable step to promote the safest possible

environment for all members of our community upon our reopening.

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◾ In doing so, to maintain the greatest possible

degree of normalcy in terms of the school experience, whether it be in daily schedule, offerings, or school calendar. ◾ To communicate all related policies

and procedures as clearly and as often as is necessary. ◾ To work with Greenwich Academy to make

every effort to maintain and enhance the Upper School coordinate experience and, to the extent possible, to follow similar policies and procedures on both Upper School campuses.

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Health & Safety Protocols WE CAN HAVE NO GREATER WISH for Brunswick boys

— that they will be healthy and well throughout their time at our school and into the future.

Brunswick has, historically, spent abundant time, energy, and resources on maintaining the health and wellness of all members of our community.

This summer, the School has continued that tradition as it has worked diligently to put extensive health protocols in place for the safety of our students as well as faculty and staff.

These protocols include the following:

High-top desks in a French classroom at the Middle School have been placed at a safe physical distance.

Physical Distancing ◾ To the best of their abilities, students, faculty, and staff will keep a

minimum of six feet distance from others.

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REOPENING 2020 | Health & Safety Protocols

◾ Modifications have been made to school facilities

to better maintain physical distancing. ◾ We have installed new, individualized furniture

for a number of classroom spaces in all divisions to promote appropriate physical distancing. ◾ Room and section assignments have

been adjusted to meet physical-distancing requirements. Some classrooms have been relocated as a result. ◾ Maximum occupancy limits will apply (and have been marked)

for most spaces.

A new space for the Pre School computer lab, with workstations spread at safe physical distances, has been created on the Pre School’s spacious second floor.

◾ Hallways, dining halls, and other common spaces will have signs and

markings indicating six feet or more of separation between individuals.

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REOPENING 2020 | Health & Safety Protocols

Masks ◾ Students, faculty, and staff will be required to wear masks

properly throughout the day, except during meals and designated mask breaks for younger students. ◾ We have, specifically, placed orders for an adequate

supply of custom, Brunswick face masks for all students, faculty, and staff.

Personal Hygiene Handwashing and sanitizing stations have been placed at the entrances to all school buildings, throughout the hallways and lobbies, and at the entrances to each dining hall.

New indoor signage, featuring a safely masked ’Wick bear, will constantly remind students to practice common-sense measures to minimize the spread of infection.

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Signage Signs and posters are prominently displayed throughout all buildings with reminders about: ◾ Physical distancing

◾ Mask wearing

◾ Hand-washing ◾ Directions

Health Screening/Testing/Vaccines ◾ Daily (home-administered) temperature and

to recommendations/requirements for student testing (beyond that of

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◾ The School will continue to follow state and local guidance with regard

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opening faculty meeting and again before the opening of school

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◾ Mandatory testing for faculty and staff before

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health screening for all students, faculty, and staff

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symptomatic students) as well as any recommendations/requirements for subsequent and routine testing of asymptomatic faculty and staff. ◞  Recommended for everyone, the flu vaccine is particularly important

this year and will be available to faculty and staff early in the academic year at no cost.

Personal Protective Equipment Brunswick has acquired PPE for Health Office staff, has extra masks available in all bookstores, and has provided both masks as well as faceshields to all faculty.

Assigned Seats In many cases, students will have (and keep to) assigned seats so as to effectively manage contact and to facilitate tracing if needed.

Every campus has been already stocked with an ample supply of handsanitizing wipes, masks, gloves, and other protective supplies.

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REOPENING 2020

Building Safety Cleaning, Disinfecting & Sanitizing All high-touch surfaces will undergo regular inter-day surface cleaning. ◾

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All disinfectants are EPA compliant for COVID-19.

Sanitary and antiviral cleansing mechanisms — such as antiviral coatings for door knobs, touchless paper towel dispensers, portable sinks, and hand sanitizer stations — have been installed in all buildings.

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Restrooms will be cleaned and disinfected every two hours during the school day. ◾

Each classroom will be supplied with a spray bottle filled with disinfectant spray, rubber gloves, and paper towels so that desks, tables, and chairs can be wiped down between classes.

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New hand-sanitizing stations have been installed, and door handles on all campuses have been coated with germ-killing, anti-microbial plastic sleeves.

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REOPENING 2020 | Building Safety

◾ Buildings will be disinfected in their entirety at the

conclusion of each school day. ◾ All athletic areas will be disinfected between each

Physical Education class and before afternoon sports. ◾ Brunswick owns two electrostatic spray disinfectant

machines to spray down the Pre School and Lower School playground equipment and to disinfect any area of concern quickly.

School Buildings ◾ HVAC systems in all school buildings have been thoroughly

evaluated and updated as necessary.

Portable hand-washing stations have been installed in public areas of all divisions, this one at the Pre School. At the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, hand-washing stations have been added at the entrances to dining areas and in the hallways outside classrooms as well.

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REOPENING 2020 | Building Safety

BELOW New electrostatic spray-disinfectant machines will be used to spray down playground equipment and disinfect any areas of concern.

◾ MERV-13 air filters have been added

in the ventilation systems of each building. ◾ Hallway circulation has been

studied in every building, as we plan for one-way movement in some areas to avoid crowding. ◾ All reception desks, teacher desks,

and dining halls that remain in use have had plexiglass dividers installed.

ABOVE Physically distant

“bear paw” dots will be placed on the floors of meeting areas in Pre and Lower School classrooms, to help guide and remind our youngest boys about how much space constitutes an appropriately safe distance.

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REOPENING 2020

Health Protocols Health Offices, Isolation Rooms & Protocols ◾ Each Brunswick division houses its own Health Office and

will have its own designated isolation space, either adjacent to or in close proximity to that health office. ◾ Each of our health offices will also have additional PPE

(N95 mask, gowns, and surgical gloves) for use if we need to move any community member into the isolation rooms. ◾ If any Brunswick faculty or staff member or student should become

symptomatic during the school day, he or she will be sent to the isolation room and then required to leave campus as soon as possible. ◾ Any symptomatic community member will then be directed to follow

up with his or her physician. ◾ If the community member is tested, any positive result for a COVID-19 BRUNSWICK SCHOOL Reopening 2020

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test will be reported immediately to the School, and we will then employ our reporting protocol to the Department of Health as mandated by the Town and the State. ◾ Any community member with a confirmed case of

COVID-19 will isolate at home and follow the direction of his/her physician and the protocols of the local and regional health department.

Contact Tracing ◾ Brunswick has 12 faculty and staff members who have completed

a course in contact tracing so that we can assist the local or regional health department as needed. ◾ To facilitate contact tracing in the event of suspected or actual

exposure, in all divisions, to the extent possible, we are monitoring and BRUNSWICK SCHOOL Reopening 2020

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REOPENING 2020 | Health Protocols

limiting the individuals that each student and faculty member has regular and extended contact with including using assigned seating in most classrooms and keeping inter-divisional contact to a minimum.

To the extent possible, all individuals in regular, extended contact with any diagnosed student, faculty, or staff member will be contacted and, if advised to do so by the Department of Health, required to quarantine for 14 days. â—ž

Other individuals in the respective division will be contacted while maintaining strict adherence to respective HIPAA guidelines. â—ž

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REOPENING 2020 | Health Protocols

COVID-19 Team ◾ Sarah Burdett, as Brunswick’s COVID-19

Coordinator, has been tasked with responsibility for outreach to other independent schools to share best practices and report a daily census on illness. ◾ Brunswick’s Medical Staff, Marc Strileckis, Emma

Eschtricht, Ginny Martin, and Will Perkins, will be staffing the Divisional Health Offices and Training Rooms and are prepared to coordinate care for any students with health or medical needs during the day, COVID-19 or otherwise.

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REOPENING 2020

Academic Program & Daily Routines ALTHOUGH SCHOOL WILL LOOK somewhat different as we

embark on a new chapter in September, Brunswick’s core mission remains the same.

In its academic programs, the School seeks to challenge each boy to fulfill his unique potential and to develop the creative and independent qualities of mind necessary for intellectual maturity and self-confidence.

The following measures have been put in place to ensure Brunswick can deliver its academic program for its boys, through various scenarios that may develop. ◾ Although we have slightly modified our daily schedules so as to avoid crowding at arrival and dismissal points, we are, nevertheless, currently planning on a normal five-day school week.

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◾ All classrooms have been updated from a

technological standpoint, so that, if needed, a student required to quarantine at home can participate — to the degree that he is able — with his classes. ◾ All faculty have prepared alternate methods of

instruction should in-person classes, at some point in the school year, need to be curtailed — either for a given student who is ill or in the event of another shutdown. ◾ To this end, after our months of experience this past

spring, teachers have continued to build on their remotelearning methods and class formats. ◾ We have finalized a detailed closing plan in the event that

such action is required.

The Lower School dining hall has been temporarily transformed for use as largeclassroom space, allowing for boys to be appropriately distanced at tables normally accommodating two students.

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We have included alternatives that would allow other divisions to stay open, even if one division is closed due to an outbreak.

Learning Plan As our Brunswick teachers prepare for the start of school this fall, we anticipate three possible scenarios: SCENARIO 1

In-Person Instruction ◞  At the writing of this letter, we anticipate opening our doors in

September for in-person instruction and look forward to offering an enriching and full experience, with comprehensive safety precautions in place.

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◞  We are opening school for in-person classes

because we believe firmly in the value of in-person instruction and connection. That said and despite all our efforts, we cannot guarantee that an infection or outbreak is impossible and want to alert both students and parents to that reality.

If you are choosing to send your son to school, you are accepting and acknowledging that risk.

SCENARIO 2

Hybrid Remote Instruction (for some individuals, as needed) As previously noted, we are opening school for in-person instruction because we firmly believe in the importance of human interaction, social BRUNSWICK SCHOOL Reopening 2020

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connection and community building. With that said, we cannot guarantee that an infection or outbreak is impossible and want to alert you to that reality.

Should a student have to stay home for an extended period, the School has established the following guidelines: ◾ Unless the entire division is closed and all are

defaulting to fully-remote learning protocols, all enrolled students are expected to attend classes in person on all school days. ◾ While school is in regular session, should a student be absent due

to occasional illness or a conflicting appointment, he will be responsible for assigned work, as in years past, but will not be offered hybrid remote instruction.

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In cases of extended absence (multiple days and/or weeks) hybrid remote instruction for an individual will be considered under the following guidelines: ◾ The extent and nature of the absence must be confirmed in writing by a treating physician and/or officially sanctioned or requested by the School. ◾ The extent of the absence must be expected to

exceed five school days.

Although we join the collective medical opinion that in-person schooling is far preferable, should your son have a medical condition that makes him especially vulnerable to infection and/or should someone in your household (to whom he could be regularly exposed) be at greater than normal risk, we will be happy to discuss offering your son a

A Middle School English classroom is spacious enough to accommodate this new and, we hope, temporary configuration.

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hybrid remote-learning option in lieu of in-person classes for some period of the school year. Please call to discuss should your family have a unique need. ◾ Hybrid remote instruction for individual students would include live streaming of a portion of the on-campus learning via webcam or Zoom. It is important to note that while we understand a student would have a somewhat limited visual experience, our hope is this would allow for him to receive teacher instruction and still be included in some way, albeit from a distance. ◾ Please note, while hybrid remote instruction attempts to

bridge the classroom and home, it would not look the same as our fully-remote learning plan.

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SCENARIO 3

Fully-Remote Learning In the event that we need to shift to a closure of the entire division, teachers are prepared to offer enriching and balanced instruction remotely, building upon the successes and lessons of our fully-remote learning experience last spring. For our fully remote learning plan, families can expect the following: ◾ Live synchronous instruction, pre-recorded asynchronous lessons,

our remote-assessment protocol (in appropriate divisions), and optional creative project-based learning opportunities (as appropriate by division) ◾ Our program will be informed by the latest research on the efficacy of

digital learning platforms by age. ◾ Families can expect a regular, predictable weekly schedule to allow for

planning purposes.

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◾ Families can expect daily streamlined communication

with digital platforms to allow for submitting work and timely teacher feedback. ◾ While synchronous lessons may be used to build the classroom

community, teachers will prioritize the use of this screen time for more targeted small group work and regularly scheduled individual check-ins between students and teachers. ◾ Students will continue to be offered a full and enriching

curriculum, including regular lessons in arts, technology, health and wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion, physical education, mindfulness exercises, and community building opportunities. ◾ Students will have access to online learning tools to enhance instruction.

Desks in offices of all divisions, including this one at the Middle School, have been outfitted with protective plexiglass panels to safeguard both visitors and staff from potential infection.

◾ All families will be encouraged to reach out for academic, technological,

and counseling support as needed.

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Student Life Mental Health & Wellness THE COUNSELING STAFF has deepened its commitment to

supporting the entire Brunswick community as it navigates the uncharted waters brought about by the pandemic.

Even while physically distant, enduring initiatives like mindfulness practice, Big Brothers, and Connections have been strengthened and will continue using virtual platforms.

In addition, students at all grade levels will have regular classroom and advisory lessons and activities regarding all aspects of health and wellness — of particular note, hygiene practices, nutrition for a healthy body, management of stress and anxiety, care for self and care for others.

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Athletics ATHLETICS HAVE BEEN a cornerstone of the Brunswick

experience for generations — it is our greatest, most enduring hope for our boys that they develop a love for physical activity and live a long, healthy, and productive life.

That has not changed.

As it works to reopen school, Brunswick remains committed to athletics for the lessons it teaches on the playing fields and beyond — lessons like how to persevere, how to handle defeat, how to win, how to get along with people, and how to lift other people up.

As we await more information regarding youth sports and the spread of COVID-19, Brunswick School, at this point in time, will move forward BRUNSWICK SCHOOL Reopening 2020

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with a fall sports program in grades 7-12. This plan, however, may change as we move closer to pre-season and our reopening date.

Brunswick is considering three scenarios for fall athletics, all based on government and medical guidance, ranging from a full regular season to cancellation.

Details on those options, which apply to grades 7-12 for interscholastic sports, are outlined here.

Arts: Theater, Music & Studio Arts BRUNSWICK BOYS ARE MORE than just students — they are also

artists, thespians, and musicians. Opportunities in the arts this fall will continue as strong as ever, with safety always first in mind.

In particular, every year at the Upper School, the Theater Department lends itself to the imagination of the entire student body as it encourages BRUNSWICK SCHOOL Reopening 2020

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students at every level to audition and participate in productions.

The School remains deeply committed to its theater program — and its entire arts curriculum — as it makes preparations for reopening.

A robust theater and arts program will proceed as creatively as possible, under all health restrictions that prevail.

Community Service, Clubs & Extracurricular Activities BRUNSWICK HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED students should endeavor

to serve communities and causes beyond their own, and today that commitment remains as strong as ever.

To wit, community service is as much a part of Brunswick life as academics and athletics, and as needs in Greenwich and far beyond have grown, so has Brunswick’s commitment to serve.

When the COVID-19 quarantine began, Brunswick continued its longstanding commitment to community service by establishing a food bank for first responders and other families in need.

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Under the strict health protocols the School has put in place, boys can expect community service, clubs, and extracurricular opportunities to remain an integral part of the Brunswick experience as the School reopens this fall. All of it will be practiced with adherence to physical distancing, as required.

Assemblies ONE OF THE MANY BENEFITS of a Brunswick education has been the

chance for our boys to hear and learn from distinctive visitors who share their talent, time, and gifts.

Indeed, each year, judges, authors, artists, musicians, scientists, historians, and other professionals have visited Brunswick to share their diverse experiences with audiences ranging from our youngest learners

’Wick alumnus and Harvard “rock star” Professor David Malan ’95 captivated students last year, during an assembly on coding and computer programming.

Virtually and in-person, when appropriate, Brunswick remains committed to offering a highly engaging and relevant assembly program.

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in the Pre School and Lower School, all the way up to the young men in our Middle School and Upper School divisions.

This fall, Brunswick remains committed to hosting these kinds of visitors, and assemblies will continue unabated in either a virtual format and/or in appropriate, physically distanced settings.

Meals OUR FOOD SERVICE PROVIDER, FLIK, has worked

closely with Brunswick over the summer to create a meal plan that both provides a safe space for dining and continues to provide our students, faculty, and staff with nutritious meals that offer balance and choice for all.

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◾ We have adjusted our dining format in all divisions

to avoid crowding and congestion in our dining halls. ◾ Younger students will have meals and snacks

delivered to their classrooms. ◾ Middle and Upper School students will have “grab

and go” meals in their designated dining areas. ◾ In the Middle and Upper Schools, we have also

significantly expanded the size of our dining areas — both inside as well as outside — to avoid crowding. ◾ Dining hall tables have also been outfitted with plexiglass

dividers to create four distinct seating areas at each table. ◾ Dining tables and chairs will be wiped down and disinfected

In campus dining areas, plexiglass now partitions each tabletop into individual dining space, and tables have been spaced at safe physical distances, as shown here, in the Upper School dining room.

between each seating.

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◾ Dining halls will have one-way traffic with designated

entrances and exits to reduce congestion.

Transportation BUSING AND STUDENT TRANSPORT, both to and

from school and between campuses, will be available. ◾ Town busses will run with a mandatory maskwearing policy and will follow physical distancing protocols depending on the current “transmission risk.” ◾ Brunswick shuttles between campuses will follow the same guidelines. ◾ All Brunswick shuttles and vans will be wiped down and disinfected in

between each use.

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Orientation, Training & Return To Campus ALL STUDENTS AND FAMILIES will receive a detailed, instructional

video for their division outlining new health and safety protocols, school routines, and best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which will be sent as an email link at the end of August.

The Brunswick Handbook has been updated and revised with a COVID-19 Supplement; all students and parents should review it with care prior to the start of school.

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Brunswick faculty and staff will have detailed training during our opening faculty meetings on new health and safety protocols, school routines, and best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Students, faculty, and staff should continue to educate themselves and follow State guidance on returning to school after being exposed to COVID-19, illness, travel, and more.

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REOPENING 2020 | Orientation, Training & Return To Campus

As noted previously, State guidance now includes a 14-day quarantine for travelers from states with high infection rates, and families, faculty, and staff should adjust any travel plans accordingly. For a list of states for which Connecticut now requires a 14-day quarantine, click here.

Visitors to Campus Visitors to campus (including parents) will, regrettably, have to be significantly limited as the year starts, and will be required to wear masks. â—ž

Brunswick will restrict access of visitors to all campuses unless deemed an essential delivery or service (not able to be scheduled after hours or on weekends) or an essential visitor with a scheduled appointment. â—ž

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REOPENING 2020 | Orientation, Training & Return To Campus

Any visitor to campus will be asked to complete Brunswick’s health-screening protocol in advance and must have followed the travel guidelines as established by the State of Connecticut (including any required periods of quarantine).

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Employees have been instructed to follow the same protocols for travel and will be required to quarantine for 14 days if coming from an area of concern, as designated by the State of Connecticut.

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Opening-of-School-Year Events Various events such as Class Coffees, BPA meetings, and even, most likely, the Annual Dinner, will be shifted to a virtual format to avoid crowding.

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A spacious Middle School common area, previously used for study and small gatherings, is in the process of being transformed into physically distant classroom space.

Class coffees for all grade levels will be held at the end of August via Zoom so that parents can be clear on and feel comfortable with our ◾

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REOPENING 2020 | Orientation, Training & Return To Campus

reopening plans before the first day of school; invitations for these coffees will be forthcoming. ◾ Brunswick’s iconic handshake has been sidelined for

the moment, as the school shifts gears to emphasize scrupulous hand washing, and sneezing and cough etiquette. Although we all certainly hope for a return of the traditional handshake, we will adapt and change as health-and-safety circumstances demand: For the new year, in place of the handshake, all Brunswick students and faculty will be strongly encouraged to “look each other squarely in the eye” as they speak and interact, forming as great and affirmative human connection as possible.

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B RU N SW I C K S C H O O L

REOPENING 2020

Division-Specific Protocols & Strategies SPECIAL AND UNIQUE CONSIDERATIONS, details, and

approaches must apply at every level, from Pre School through Upper School. As the entire Reopening Team collaborated closely with Division Heads to identify and address those considerations, all thinking and planning has been predicated on broad internal consensus and a solid philosophical foundation.

Educationally, across all divisions, the following tenets about in-person schooling apply strongly to our strategic thinking about what is best for our boys at this time: In-person schooling is the most effective method of teaching and learning.

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Divisional Details & Updates For Heads’ Letters addressing division-specific details, plans, and protocols and providing general updates for the new school year, click on the links below. ▶ Pre School Gina Hurd ▶ Lower School Katie Signer ▶ Middle School Rob Follansbee ▶ Upper School Tom Philip

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REOPENING 2020 | Division-Specific Protocols & Strategies

◾ The Brunswick experience is about more than just rote learning;

the important life skills of personal connection and relationships are promoted far more effectively in school than in a distancelearning format. ◾ Schools were the first to close and have been closed since March.

As such, they are not vectors for any current outbreaks. ◾ Not having our boys in school is potentially more dangerous to

their health: Parents may have to work and rely upon caregivers with less training and protection than we are providing our teachers. ◾

Daily habits of hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing will not be as carefully monitored outside of school as they would be in a school setting. ◾

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REOPENING 2020 | Division-Specific Protocols & Strategies

Lack of in-person contact with peers and teachers is detrimental to the mental health of school-age children. ◾

Lack of organized and monitored physical exercise is detrimental to the physical health of school-age children. ◾

◾ This pandemic may not end in January — it

may go on to one degree or another for years — and we cannot imagine having our boys distance-learn for such an extended time.

Cross-Divisional Questions & Answers To review an evolving and summary roster of many of the most frequently asked questions and answers about reopening protocols and policies, click here.

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REOPENING 2020

In Closing THIS IS A LONG DOCUMENT, chock full of details for

the School as a whole as well as for every division. Please spend some time looking it over carefully. ◾ This document reflects our thinking at this moment in

time. Especially now, change is a given. As new information becomes available or circumstances change, plans may change. We will continue to communicate with you. ◾ We’re going to be flexible and nimble. We’re going to be

able to go any number of ways depending on what the news is at the end of August. ◾ To emphasize an important point, we are looking to reopen

with two priorities in mind: A safe and healthy experience for all, and as much normalcy as possible.

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REOPENING 2020 | In Closing

◾ When we return to school and until we can return to the

iconic Brunswick handshake, we are going to make every effort to look each other in the eye as we work to be honest and transparent. ◾ Remember, we’re all in this together. We’ve all got to be

wearing our masks, we’ve all got to be washing our hands, we’ve all got to be self monitoring for symptoms. ◾ We welcome your questions and invite you to make any

suggestions or comments you think will add to our preparation and implementation. ◾ We have always felt that what we are doing at Brunswick is an

extension of what you are doing in your home, and that we share the same values and responsibilities. In that respect, this year is no different.

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REOPENING 2020 | In Closing

◞  We are a full partner with you in this, but you are

the ultimate decision maker. This is a deeply personal decision, and we respect whatever you decide is best for your son and your family.

Thank you so much for your patience, cooperation, and especially for sharing your son with us as this challenging year is set to begin!

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