Our Goal

We recognize that the ideal teaching and learning environment is one in which students and teachers are able to interact with each other face-to-face. We also recognize the vital importance of creating a campus environment that addresses the health and safety concerns of our students, faculty and staff. Our plan for the 20-21 school year seeks to do both, providing a road map for our community to follow in the months ahead.

Our Plan is also designed to allow us to adapt quickly to changing conditions of the pandemic and still provide for the continuous education of our students. As guidelines change, we will pivot to ensure we are adopting best practices based on the data that is available to us. At all times, we will calibrate our school operations and teaching to public health conditions.

Our goal is to offer an exceptional education for our students while prioritizing the safety and wellness of our community.

The following details of our plan represents a model in which our students, faculty and staff are back on campus operating under new health and safety guidelines and protocols. Accommodations will be made for students requesting not to be on-campus. Other options, including a return to the distance learning model implemented last spring, will be considered based on guidelines, considerations and/or mandates from the state and local health departments, or if the school determines it is unsafe for our community to return to campus.

Old Trail is committed to providing a continuity of learning for students on and off campus. We understand that there will be times when students, even those who elect to return to campus, will need to learn from home due to an illness or the quarantine of a cohort. Students who are learning from home will be able to continue their classwork through an online platform placing them virtually in their classroom with their peers and teachers through an investment in new technology. School day hours for virtual learning will be the same as in-person learning. More details will be shared with families later this summer. We recognize that the Early Childhood program presents unique challenges when in-person learning is not possible. This is a complex problem and discussions are ongoing to determine the best solution for students and families if and when distance and virtual learning are necessary.

It is important to note that this plan is not intended to address every question that students, faculty, staff, and families will have. Nor does it provide all the details on the many issues and decisions that will continue to be made as we approach the fall. Our guide is intended to provide an overview of our Return to Campus strategies.

Life on Campus

The following is a snapshot of what life on campus will look like this fall. More details can be found throughout this document.

A Healthy Community Environment

ɒ State and local health and safety guidelines will be followed and procedures implemented for hygiene, social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols. ɒ Face masks will be required of all faculty, staff and students in the building with specific options available for students in ECP to Grade 2. Mask breaks will be scheduled throughout the academic day. ɒ Parents will be responsible to check and monitor their child’s health each morning and alert the school of high temperatures and/or symptoms of illness. In turn, all school employees will be responsible for monitoring their own health each morning and alerting the school of the same symptoms. ɒ Students and employees must not enter the campus if they test positive for COVID-19, display any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or have had close contact with someone who has displayed any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or who has been diagnosed as positive for COVID-19. ɒ Parents and visitors will not be allowed on campus without an appointment.

A Healthy Campus Environment

ɒ Academic schedules and classroom use will be reimagined to keep students in smaller, consistent groups, or cohorts, during the day. This will reduce the risk of viral transmission and allow for discrete cohorts to quarantine in the event of infection without requiring that the entire campus close and shift to distance learning. ɒ Cohorts will be defined as the child’s class for students in ECP to Grade 2 and homeroom for students in Grades 3-8. Each cohort will vary in size, and classroom modifications have been made in order to allow for social distancing. ɒ Improvements to the school’s HVAC system have been made to provide the highest-possible air quality in the building, including the installation of MERV 13 filters, improved ventilation in areas of concern throughout the building and cleaning of all coils.

Additionally, a new GPS Ionization System will be installed to help kill bacteria, viruses and germs in the building. Air exchange currently occurs every hour in different parts of the building and air filters will be replaced frequently on a regular schedule.

Life on Campus

ɒ Our vast outdoor space on campus will be utilized to complement our inside classroom environment as often as appropriate to reduce the risk of transmission for students and adults. Primary and ECP students will not be required to wear a mask while at play outdoors.

Students in grades 3-8 will wear masks outdoors when they cannot be socially distanced. ɒ Lunch will be provided for students but the options will be limited when school begins.

Students will remain in their cohorts during lunch and will eat outdoors for as long as the weather permits. Other spaces are being explored for alternatives due to inclement weather. Students may also choose to pack their lunch. ɒ Students will not eat in the dining room this year. This room, as well as other common spaces, may be used as classrooms to accommodate social distancing. ɒ A registered nurse (RN) has been hired to serve our student body and the Health Clinic has been moved to a new location to allow for the isolation of students with fevers and other COVID-19 symptoms, as well as day-to-day needs (medication, cuts, bruises etc.). ɒ Movement on campus will be controlled and directed to reduce the mixing of cohorts. ɒ Additional custodial staff will be on duty during school days to enhance cleaning efforts throughout the entire building.

Other Important Details

ɒ School hours will remain the same (8:30 a.m. to 3:25 p.m.) daily. Classrooms will open at 8 a.m. each day for students in grades K-8 to join their respective cohorts prior to the start of the day. ɒ To help students and families become more familiar with new health and safety protocols and procedures in place for the school year, one-hour Back-to-School Orientation

sessions will be scheduled during the week of August 24-28. More details will be shared later this summer.

ɒ Transportation will be provided by existing OTS bus routes. Additional routes may be added in the future. Public school busing of students to private schools is still being discussed at the state and local level and may not be available. Parents are encouraged to contact their local school districts for more information. ɒ Before and after-school care will be provided, but OTS+ enrichment classes will not be offered. ɒ Interscholastic sports will be suspended for the fall season, including boys soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls field hockey and girls tennis.