Dedham Country Day School
Fall 2020 Return to School
Back to School This Fall With Massachusetts coronavirus numbers going down steadily, and with new reopening guidelines from the Commonwealth providing clear direction on the steps necessary for returning to school safely, we are confident that we can reopen DCD for in-person learning in the fall for all students with enhanced safety measures in place, while also preparing for alternative scenarios if the situation changes. Our goal is to provide the best academic program and community experience possible while ensuring the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff. Despite the many unknowns that lie ahead, we’re optimistic that we can meet these objectives, even if it takes some new methods and new approaches — and in close collaboration with our families. This journey together certainly reinforces the foresight and continuing resonance of DCD’s longtime motto, “Learning is a Way of Life.” 1
Commitment to our Mission and Community Regardless of the methods needed to engage students over the course of the year, we will hold fast to our mission and provide a program that is challenging, inclusive, and engaging. We will continue to keep our students at the very heart of all we do and we are steadfast in our resolve to develop children and young adults with the skills and sensibilities to be bold, lifelong learners and ethical members of our larger world.
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In addition to focusing on the academic learning of DCD’s children, we are also focused on providing strong connections with teachers and peers, social-emotional skill-building, and support for students. We know this time has been stressful for many children, and curriculum like our mindfulness programming and our middle school advisory time provide opportunities to support children and teens in their emotional development and are important to provide in the year ahead. Finally, we will continue to find ways to engage as a community, in person or remotely, since the relationships we foster between families and the strength of our community are some of our greatest assets. The adaptability and strength of our community during this spring was remarkable. We know we will continue to find ways to thrive and make the best possible school and community for all of DCD’s people, regardless of the methods we utilize to meet this goal, in the months ahead. 3
Planning for Opening While planning to open fully for on-campus learning this fall, there are many factors outside of our control that will influence our decision making. We are closely following all guidelines and requirements of the CDC, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Dedham Board of Health as we strive to deliver the best possible educational experience for our students. Based on the recently released state guidelines, our expectation is that we will be fully open in the fall, with new safety procedures in place. 4
Because the situation is constantly evolving, we are also preparing for other possible scenarios, including a hybrid approach with periods of on-campus schooling and periods of distance learning, as well as a comprehensive distance learning program for an extended period of time. What will each of these scenarios look like? 1. On-campus schooling with enhanced safety measures in place We expect to be back on campus in September with a number of modifications in place, including a pod-based learning model. Given the state directive to limit the size of cohorts and minimize the interaction of students across groups, we are working to design “learning pods� that will allow us to deliver our program in teams of learners and teachers who will stay together most of the day, either in a dedicated space or in a limited number of spaces on campus. In this model, students may receive some instruction that is online, even though they are on campus. 5
We look forward to sharing more about this design later this summer since it will be based on both the final guidance from the state and the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 mitigation. We will also follow the state guidelines for multiple layers of strategies to maximize health and safety for everyone in our community, including the following steps: ĉ Face masks (provided by families) will be required for all adults and for all students in grades 2 and above. We will have frequent “mask breaks” outside during the day. Face masks may also be encouraged for students in pre-K through first grade in some situations. ĉ In maintaining consistency with schools around the world, a distance requirement of three feet between students will be required, with a six-feet distance where feasible. ĉ Travel within the school building will be limited 6
ĉ Systems for frequent hand washing will be required ĉ We will limit access to the building DCD is fortunate to have a large campus that will allow us to expand classroom space to accommodate social-distancing requirements as necessary. We are considering additional exterior classroom spaces as one possible way to allow for smaller class sizes, as well as using some of DCD’s shared spaces for dedicated classroom space.
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We know we will not utilize some of our shared spaces for groups when we open, like our Lawrence Room where we eat lunch. We are developing plans to use “grab-and-go� lunches in classrooms instead of sit-down meals. Other aspects of our program will also be modified, like our approach to assemblies and new drop-off and pick-up procedures that allow for physical distancing.
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The health office is working on acquiring necessary PPE and making our DCD health services office and policies COVID-19-compliant. This will include increased cleaning/disinfecting protocols and scheduled hand-hygiene throughout the school day. We recognize that when DCD’s campus reopens, there may be students with special health risks, families who need to quarantine due to exposure, and extenuating circumstances that will affect participation in daily activities. We are considering all of this as we plan for the coming year and are committed to serving all of our students. In late July, the state will issue final guidance regarding athletics and extracurricular activities, and our task teams are working all summer to formulate the best plans regarding all other school procedures.
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2. A hybrid approach with periods of on-campus schooling and periods of distance learning Public health experts and our medical advisors warn that a resurgence of the virus is possible, if not likely, at some point during the fall and winter months. If we are required to close school for periods of time, we will be prepared to transition seamlessly to a distance-learning environment and then back to in-person learning. With the extensive experience gained this spring, and additional mandatory professional development in online learning this summer, our faculty and staff have the skills to develop learning plans and materials so our students can remain engaged and keep learning, even if we have to transition more than once. 10
3. A comprehensive distance-learning program for an extended period of time If the virus returns for an extended period of time, we will be prepared to launch a comprehensive distance-learning program that will enable our students to continue learning and growing in all core areas. While this scenario is the one we most hope to avoid, we have an abundance of knowledge gained through our spring term program, including multiple parent surveys that helped us make adjustments along the way and will inform the curricular, online versus offline balance, and socialization choices
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we make in designing the new plan. We have been consulting with peer schools in other parts of the country and the world to understand and apply the “best practices� emerging as we imagine a transition from the emergency pandemic teaching schools did this spring to readiness for deliberately crafted online learning. As mentioned above, our faculty and staff are taking part in summer professional development classes to further enhance their understanding of the online learning environment.
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Important Role of Families Keeping our community safe will require close collaboration with our families. As reinforced by the state’s reopening guidelines, it is critical that families and caregivers check for symptoms each morning and not send their children to school if they exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms (while the state is not requiring “point-of-entry” testing, we are exploring the use of an app that will enable families to screen for COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis and report to the school). We will provide resources to prepare children for the protocols that will be in place this fall and share these with you so we can work together to help students develop health practices that will keep them and others well. We know we will work together as a team of adults to reinforce these habits. Please reach out to the school with any questions or concerns about your family’s situation.
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Online Learning Resources and Technology Our technology team, led by Ali Fernandes, is working this summer to ensure we have the resources and platforms we need to support our program well. Director of Academic Technology Kate Reardon provides critical resources and expertise to faculty and students as well as parents when learning must be remote. We will continue to utilize tools like Google Classroom, Google Apps Suite, Seesaw, and Zoom to meet a variety of instructional and learning needs next year. Please visit our Distance Learning Page if you want an opportunity to learn more about these tools and resources.
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COVID-19 Response and Planning Team The DCD Administrative Team and the COVID-19 Response and Planning Team are meeting throughout the summer to stay on top of the latest health and safety guidelines and finalize our plans for the fall. Feel free to reach out to any team member with any questions. Leslie Bowen Director of Communications
MaryEllen Maloney Head of Primary School
Nate Buffum Head of Middle School
Emily Osinube School Nurse
Michael Cocchi MD School Physician
Katie Ouellette Special Assistant to the Head of School
Mark Epker Chair, Board of Trustees Ali Fernandes Chief Information Officer Carla Haith Head of Lower School Phil Holden Director of Facilities Emilie Liebhoff Assistant Head of School and Director of Admissions
Sara Payton-Stone School Nurse Charles Rudnick Director of Advancement Bob Santry Chief Financial Officer Allison Webster Head of School
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90 Sandy Valley Rd., Dedham, MA 02026 781-329-0850 • www.dedhamcountryday.org