SEWICKLEY ACADEMY Reopening Plan 2020-2021 *current as of March 2, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................. 2 About COVID-19.................................................................... 3 About our Approach...........................................................4 Guiding Principles................................................................5 School Operations by Color Phase..............................5 “Opening Day”.......................................................................6 Community Expectations................................................. 7 COVID-19 Confirmed Case Protocols.........................8 Pandemic Team.....................................................................8 Health & Safety......................................................................9 Health Screenings..........................................................9 Face Coverings................................................................9 Social Distancing............................................................9 Training..............................................................................10 Transitions........................................................................10 Food Service...................................................................10 Field Trips.........................................................................10 Travel Policy....................................................................10 Parent & Visitor Restrictions...................................10 Transportation....................................................................... 11 Educational Programming.............................................. 11 Lower School................................................................... 11 Middle & Senior Schools........................................... 12 Parent & Visitor Restrictions................................... 12 Athletics.................................................................................. 13 Online Reopening Plan....................................................14
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INTRODUCTION Dear Sewickley Academy Families,
August 3, 2020
President Eisenhower, the chief architect of D-Day and Supreme Allied Commander of all Allied Forces in Europe, noted that “plans are nothing; planning is everything.” It is in that spirit that I share with you our plans for reopening school this fall. These plans, as carefully thought-out as we can reasonably make them and as reflective of the science we know and the guidance we have been given to this point, will almost certainly need to be altered before the start of school. Our plan, therefore, is to be adaptable, which will require us to continue our planning! We have a framework to support the health, safety, and welfare of all members of our community while delivering an outstanding educational experience for our students. While there are many reasons for us to push to open our literal doors to students on campus on Wednesday, September 2, we know that conditions at that time may require us to do something different. Our plans have been informed by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Allegheny County Health Department. Our health advisors, including current parents in the medical field, our school physician, Dr. Tom Doyle, and our school nurse, Beth Brown, RN, BSN, have reviewed them. Input was solicited from all families through the survey conducted in May, as well as faculty and staff, whose feedback is also reflected in our thinking. The comprehensive nature of our process has ensured that every member of our community has had an opportunity to have input into our plans. In closing, I want to make a final point: in many ways, our work has just begun. We know that only by coming together as a community will we be able to achieve our shared goals of fulfilling our Mission in alignment with our Core Values on behalf of our students. I want to thank our parents for their continued understanding of what it takes to deliver an outstanding education and for their generous support of Sewickley Academy in these challenging times. Finally, I want to thank the exceptional faculty, staff, and administration of the school. Each member of our team has worked harder than ever to ensure that we are more than ready to meet the challenges that lie ahead. We know the strength of a community is a direct function of the commitment of its members, and by that measure, Sewickley Academy is in the fortunate position of being stronger than ever, ready and able to rise to the occasion in the service of a greater good. With best regards to all,
Kolia O’Connor Head of School Sewickley Academy Reopening Plan | 2020-2021 | 2
ABOUT COVID-19 BASICS
The novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is a disease caused by a virus that can spread from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Symptoms can range from mild or no symptoms to severe illness, and may appear 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms may include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.
PREVENTION
There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself is to avoid exposure to the virus. The following are the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19: • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. • Avoid close contact. • Cover your mouth and nose with a face mask in public, especially when social distancing is difficult to maintain. • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow. Throw used tissues in the trash, and immediately wash your hands or use hand sanitizer afterward. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces regularly. • Monitor your health daily. If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and follow CDC guidelines.
SOURCES
World Health Organization (WHO) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pennsylvania Department of Health Pennsylvania Department of Education Allegheny County Department of Health (ACDH)
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ABOUT OUR APPROACH Sewickley Academy recognizes 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 importance of creating an environment that addresses the health and safety concerns of our students, faculty, and staff. Our Reopening of School Plan represents the thoughtful work of four designated task forces – Health, Safety, and Transportation, Educational Programs, Athletics, and Facilities – working in close collaboration with the administration. The plan focuses heavily on a safe return to campus, including a robust set of health and safety measures. It is designed to adapt to the changing conditions of the pandemic while providing for the continuous education of our students. Our plans have been informed by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the Allegheny County Health Department. Our health advisors, including current parents in the medical field, our school physician, Dr. Tom Doyle, and our school nurse, Beth Brown, RN, BSN, have reviewed them. Input was solicited from all families through the survey conducted in May, as well as faculty and staff, whose feedback is also reflected in our thinking. The comprehensive nature of our process has ensured that every member of our community has had an opportunity to have input into our plans. We are prepared to invite all of our students, faculty, and staff back to campus in September. We are confident that we are able to provide the full range of programming to our students with safety precautions in place. However, it will take education, training, and practice for our faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members to adjust to our new normal. We know that with heightened communication and clear goals in mind, we will be able to support our students’ learning and social and emotional growth in this environment. While there continue to be many unknowns with respect to how COVID-19 will impact our community in the coming months, one thing is sure: we are committed to the health, safety, and welfare of our community and all its members, students, parents, faculty, and staff alike.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES Our goal is to continue to deliver, whether on campus, online, or in some combination thereof, an outstanding educational experience for our students that aligns with our commitment “to the highest standards and expectations in academics, while recognizing the essential contribution of athletics and the arts, and the maintenance of an appropriate balance among the three.” In order to deliver this goal, we are focused on three guiding principles: safety, adaptability, and patience. Safety: At a time of a continuing world pandemic, our first principle is to keep everyone as safe as we reasonably can. While there is no way to guarantee that no one will contract COVID-19, Sewickley Academy is taking every reasonable precaution in alignment with expert recommendations to ensure that both our campus and our policies are designed to enhance safety and minimize risk. That said, every member of our community has a role to play in keeping themselves and others safe, and our success as a community will be contingent on everyone doing their part. Adaptability: As noted above, we must be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances in order to most safely and effectively deliver our outstanding educational program to our students. Patience: Because we know that everyone will be doing their utmost to ensure an outstanding experience for our students, and because changing circumstances could give rise to situations that are challenging and heighten everyone’s anxiety, I ask that we collectively commit to being patient with one another. Patience, kindness, and empathy in the face of collective trials will be essential to modeling for our students the community’s commitment to their welfare and success that every adult shares.
SCHOOL OPERATIONS BY COLOR PHASE All school activities will follow Governor Wolf’s plan to reopen schools. The administration has categorized reopening into three broad phases: red, yellow, and green. These designations signal how counties and/or regions may begin easing some restrictions on school, work, congregate settings, and social interactions: Red Phase: Schools remain closed for in-person instruction and all instruction must be provided via remote learning, whether using digital or non-digital platforms. Large gatherings are prohibited. Sewickley Academy will enact Virtual School if the state is in the Red Phase. Yellow Phase: Schools may provide in-person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan. Sewickley Academy will hold on-campus instruction, or adapt a hybrid approach, in the Yellow Phase. Green Phase: Schools may provide in-person instruction after developing a written Health and Safety Plan. Sewickley Academy will hold on-campus instruction, or adapt a hybrid approach, in the Green Phase. Sewickley Academy Reopening Plan | 2020-2021 | 5
“OPENING DAY” TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
• Lower and Middle Schools: No events • Senior School: On-campus orientation for Grade 9 and new students. Families new to the Senior School will have a virtual orientation from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
• Virtual Conference Day for Lower School parents/guardians • Virtual Conference Day for Middle School parents/guardians and students • Orientation for Senior School students – These activities will all be virtual, with no students or parents/guardians on campus.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
• Classes resume on campus for Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grades 1, 6, and 9. Students attending school on campus will be expected to have the following: – Completed the self-screening via the Magnus Health App before 7:30 a.m. – An appropriate mask to wear during the day – A backpack to carry books and supplies – Lunch and a refillable water bottle – A laptop with headphones for students in the Middle and Senior Schools • All other students will begin online, learning remotely for the first eight-day PANTHERS cycle.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
• All students return to campus for on-campus instruction to begin the second PANTHERS cycle of the year. • Grades 2, 8, and 12 to return to campus, joining Pre-K, K, 1, 6, and 9
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (THE START OF THE NEXT PANTHERS CYCLE)
• Grades 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, and 11 to return to campus • Depending on conditions, we might need students in Grades 6, 9, and 12 to shift to remote learning for the next PANTHERS cycle to limit the total number of students on campus at any one time.
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SEWICKLEY ACADEMY COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS All members of the Sewickley Academy community have a shared responsibility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep our students and their families as well as our faculty and staff safe. It is crucial that all members of our community adhere to the policies and procedures in the Reopening of School Plan and any future communications. We expect our community to abide by the following principles: Travel Guidance: All Sewickley Academy families are strongly encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel and travel to high-risk areas as classified by the CDC. The PA Department of Health has rescinded travel restrictions for Pennsylvania. Please contact School Nurse Beth Brown if you have any questions or concerns. Public Health Guidance: Adhere to the guidance of national and local health organizations, including the CDC, PA Department of Health, and Allegheny County Health Department. This includes practicing social distancing and wearing face coverings outside of school. Health Screenings: Families must complete the daily required health screenings and temperature checks via the Magnus Health App before 7:30 a.m. Sick? Stay Home: If students, faculty, or staff are sick or exhibiting contagious symptoms such as fever, coughing, or sneezing, please keep them home from school to avoid spreading illness remain home until you are symptom and fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine. Pick Up Sick Children: If your child becomes sick or symptomatic at school, please pick them up from the Health and Wellness Suite as soon as possible. Face Masks: Students, faculty, and staff must wear a clean face mask on campus every day. Cloth masks should be washed daily. COVID-19 Case/Exposure Notification: If your child or someone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has been exposed to COVID-19, notify the school nurse immediately.
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COVID-19 CONFIRMED CASE PROTOCOLS While our health and safety protocols will minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19 on our campus, we expect there will be cases of COVID-19 in our community. We proactively developed the following protocols for monitoring, testing, contact tracing, and communication.
MONITORING & TESTING
A parent or guardian must complete a daily health screening assessment of their child(ren) via the Magnus Health app each morning before departing for school and submit the data no later than 7:30 a.m. Students and employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19, have known exposure to COVID-19, or have a fever of over 100°F will be sent home and instructed to follow up with their physician for further testing and assessment. Exposure to COVID-19 outside of school must be reported to the school nurse. If a student becomes ill during the school day, they will be asked to wait in the isolation room where there will be minimal contact with others until a parent, guardian, or caregiver can pick them up in a timely manner. They will be escorted outside to their parent/caregiver by the school nurse or athletic trainer through the Lower School lobby when it is empty.
POSITIVE CASES
Anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 will need to follow the CDC’s COVID-19 Guidelines and the CDC’s Guidelines for Exposure, which currently requires families to quarantine for 10 days.
CONTACT TRACING
The school nurse and athletic trainer will work with the ACHD to identify any Sewickley Academy community members who were in close contact with an infected person. Faculty, staff, and families will be notified of possible exposure to a person with a confirmed case by ACHD.
COMMUNICATION
The Head of School will share information about exposure with the affected part of the school community while protecting the infected individual’s confidentiality and the impacted facilities will be closed until they are cleaned and disinfected.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM/PANDEMIC RESPONSE The Senior Administrative Team includes the following school leaders, who are responsible for directing any response to the coronavirus pandemic: Ryan Baxter, Head of Lower School; Beau Blaser, Director of Technology; LaVern Burton, Director of Equity & Inclusion; Peter Lau, Head of Senior School; Douglas Leek, Director of Admissions; Karen McAvoy, Director of Finance & Operations; Jim Miller, Director of Buildings & Grounds; Shannon Mulholland, Head of Middle School; Kolia O’Connor, Head of School; Win Palmer, Director of Athletics; Brendan Schneider, Director of Advancement; and Ben Scoville, Director of Teaching & Learning. The team is supported in their work by Beth Brown, School Nurse, Dr. Tom Doyle, School Physician, and Kaitlin Busch, Communications & Publications Specialist. Sewickley Academy Reopening Plan | 2020-2021 | 8
HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS Health Screenings: Students and employees will self-screen each morning and verify each day that they have self-screened and will not come to campus if they are symptomatic. This should be done no more than two hours before attending school and attendance is to be reviewed by the school nurse or athletic trainer by 7:30 a.m. Students and their families will have access to the Magnus Health app to report their daily screenings. Anyone with a temperature of 100°F or higher, or COVID-19 symptoms, will be expected to stay home. Anyone who arrives on campus without having self-screened will not be permitted to remain on campus. Students who exhibit symptoms after arriving at school will be separated from other students and parents/guardians will be contacted to arrange pick-up within the hour. Face Masks: Face masks will be required for anyone on campus. Bandanas and gaiters are not permitted, and all face masks with any patterns, markings, or other logos must be appropriate for school use. Students in the Middle and Senior Schools must wear masks free of text. Current recommendations are for two-ply cloth face masks for maximum effectiveness. Families must provide their children with appropriate properly-sized face masks for school use. We suggest two for each day in the event that one is soiled. A paper bag with the student’s name on it must be provided by parents for safe placement. Hygiene: Good hygiene will be taught and reinforced. Students and employees will be required to wash their hands when they arrive and dismiss from school and at regular intervals during the day. Water fountains will be closed. Safe alternatives like water filling stations will remain open. Food sharing is prohibited. Students and faculty will follow a regular schedule of hand washing or use of hand sanitizer throughout the day. Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available in every classroom and outside every building entrance to ensure regular access. Social Distancing: Classroom configurations will be altered to maximize physical distancing. Desks will be placed in staggered rows all facing the same direction, with limitations on face-to-face seating. Six-foot distancing is not required for the classroom seating – a lesser distance is acceptable if six feet is not achievable to meet the needs of students when face masks are worn by students and faculty. Our goal will be a minimum spacing of three feet apart, the social distancing recommended by the WHO and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sewickley Academy Reopening Plan | 2020-2021 | 9
Training: The nurse will train faculty and staff on proper health and safety procedures before the school year begins and each time we return from an extended break. Each division will orient students in the first days back to school to new health and safety procedures. Transitions: High-traffic hallway use will be limited by staggering the end of classroom periods to reduce the number of students in the hallways simultaneously and requiring “one-way” pedestrian traffic to lessen twoway interaction between users. Stairwells will be assigned for each grade’s use when traveling to the second floors of the Lower and Middle Schools to deter intermixing of student groups throughout the school day. Cafeteria/Food Service: Sewickley Academy’s food service company, Metz, will provide individually packaged snack and lunch options that must be pre-ordered online. Boxed lunches (cold) will be delivered to classrooms where students will eat lunch. The Meal Deal will include the choice of one sandwich or salad, two sides, and a drink. Additional snacks can be ordered a la carte. No breakfast will be served and the cafeterias will be closed for the year. Lunch is not available for Early Childhood students. Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottle, snacks, and lunch from home. In the Lower School, any food brought by students from home must be nut-free in order to protect our students and staff with severe nut allergies. The cafeterias will not be open to serve breakfast, lunch, or snacks. Water Filling Stations: It is highly encouraged for all individuals to bring reusable water bottles from home or use disposable plastic bottles. Water filling stations will be available for use in all divisions; however, the use of any water fountains for drinking will not be permitted. Field Trips: Field trips can be phased in and approved by the administration on a case-by-case basis. No divisional overnight trips will take place this year. Overnight trips for Global Studies and Athletics will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Cleaning & Disinfection: All high-touch surfaces will be disinfected regularly, including water filling stations, door handles, light switches, bathrooms, common areas, faculty lounges, the Early Childhood playground equipment, and classrooms and student desks. Note: The Lower School playground will be closed. Ventilation: Classrooms and common areas will be ventilated with the additional circulation of outdoor air using windows, doors, and/or fans. Outdoor air ventilation will be increased through our HVAC systems and upgraded MERV 13 filters are being installed over the summer break for additional air filtration on applicable equipment. Signage: Signage provided by the CDC will be posted in highly visible locations (e.g., school entrances, restrooms) that promote everyday protective measures and describe how to stop the spread of germs. Limit the Sharing of Materials: In an effort to limit the shared materials between students, we ask that each student continue to bring their own computer, earbuds/headphones/earphones each day, and refrain from bringing any other materials with the intention of sharing (soccer balls or footballs, games, sporting equipment, etc.). Travel Policy: All Sewickley Academy families are strongly encouraged to avoid unnecessary travel and travel to high-risk areas as classified by the CDC. The PA Department of Health has rescinded travel restrictions for Pennsylvania. Please contact School Nurse Beth Brown if you have any questions or concerns. Parent & Visitor Restrictions: Visitors will not be permitted on campus. If families need to drop off something for their child(ren) during the day, a cart will be located in the vestibule of each division. Please label the item, and we will make sure we deliver it to your child(ren). Special guests will be invited to join classrooms virtually and, likewise, student field trips will be limited but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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TRANSPORTATION Parents are encouraged to transport their child(ren) to and from school when possible. Children who are driven to school by car will use the driveway loop closest to their entrance. The parent/driver should remain in the car. We will follow the guidelines provided by each of the school districts and bus companies that transport our students. Physical distancing should be maintained at bus stops, and face masks should be worn while waiting for or riding any bus. Buses should be loaded back to front and unloaded front to back to limit passing other students. Siblings are encouraged to sit together. Busing for athletes will follow athletic guidelines and recommendations. Cleaning of our Sewickley Academy bus and vans will follow the local, state, and/or federal recommendations. Cleaning of school buses from the districts that transport our students is as follows: Avonworth is using a one-time, good for 30 days spray. Aliquippa, Ambridge, Central Valley, Cornell, Freedom, Montour, Moon, and West Allegheny are cleaning after every morning and afternoon run. We are still waiting to hear the safety protocols of the rest of the districts that bus students to the Academy.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS LOWER SCHOOL
Each homeroom will operate as an isolated cohort, or pod, staying together throughout the day. The two homerooms in each grade will function as a larger cohort. These homerooms will maintain social distancing from one another (i.e., the two homerooms will not mix students) but will share common faculty members between them. The Early Childhood (EC) homerooms will each have two assigned teachers, and there will be one specialist assigned to work with the three Early Childhood classes all day. The students in these three classes will refrain from mixing whenever possible, and the students in each homeroom will only work with their two teachers and the EC-assigned specialist. Grades 1-5 will have three faculty members assigned to it – the two homeroom teachers and one specialist who will be only with those two homerooms all day. These will be the only adults these students engage with each day. While we will do our best to follow the new schedule that had been designed before the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand that some adjustments will be necessary. Each specialist will teach their subject matter to the students in the grade to which they are assigned. Since two homerooms cannot be together at the same time, the times of these sessions may vary somewhat. All other specials content will be delivered in a Virtual School model, supervised and supported by the specialist or homeroom teacher in the room. Early Arrivals, After Ours, After School Activities There will be no formal Early Arrival Program in the 2020-2021 school year. All doors will open to students at 8:00 a.m. After Ours will take place in the Lower School cafeteria, with no more than 25 people in that space. Should we exceed 25 people, we will move some students to an adjacent space, containing with physical distancing measures and supervision. While the operation of this program removes students from their pods and mixes them together, the importance of this program to our families warrants a risk that is equivalent to the mixing of students in any other activity that occurs outside of school hours. All after school activities are canceled.
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Arrival All faculty and staff must enter through the main entrance of the Lower School to check-in. Each grade must use its assigned specific entrance each morning, which can be found on the assigned entrance maps on the Lower School Resource Board on MySewickley. Students will proceed directly to their classroom, where faculty will be present to receive the students as they arrive and engage them in the necessary health protocol. Students who use a bus or van as transportation to school will use a separate entrance and will remain there until they are escorted to their classrooms. Students with siblings in multiple grades will still need to use their assigned entrances, but older siblings will be permitted to escort younger siblings to their assigned entrance. Dismissal At the end of the school day, each grade will exit through their assigned doorway. Students with younger siblings will be permitted to proceed to the exit of their youngest sibling for pickup. Students who take the bus or a van will be picked up as a group from their homeroom and brought to the bus holding area. Unstructured Play Similar to other aspects of our initially planned schedule, some aspects of the Unstructured Play block will need to be adjusted as well. As originally planned, each homeroom will be assigned a designated outdoor space for their Unstructured Playtime, but these times are likely to be somewhat different than indicated on the original schedule. Assemblies Beginning in October, our aim is for student-led assemblies to continue to take place every Tuesday morning, with the exception of those Tuesdays immediately following a day off. These assemblies will be delivered virtually to each classroom and will be made available to families to view shortly thereafter.
MIDDLE AND SENIOR SCHOOLS
The Middle and Senior Schools will adopt practices and procedures to minimize the risk of viral spread by limiting the number of students and faculty per classroom or gathering space to 25 or less, keeping desks facing forward and practicing social distancing to the extent possible. Classes larger than 25 (i.e., the casts of the Middle School musical and Senior School play and the choral ensemble) will either split into two groups with an instructor or maintain six feet of social distancing while rehearsing. While safety precautions are in place, the two divisions will not have planned group assemblies together, nor will they gather in large groups in the common areas. Instead, those activities will happen in advisory, and some of the content will be delivered virtually. Limited numbers of students will be able to work and socialize in the common spaces and library throughout the day. Any assembly over 25 persons will be held in spaces, such as the Events Center or outdoors, where more controlled social distancing can be reinforced. Entry, Exits, and Hallway Traffic The daily schedule will allow us to stagger entry and exit from common spaces and therefore avoid the congregation of crowds. Students will stagger their entry and exit from those spaces as they arrive in the morning, between classes, at lunchtime, and when they exit the building for the day (see maps on the Middle and Senior School Resource Boards on MySewickley). As much as the weather permits, we will make use of outdoor space for community time and recreational activities. Middle School LINK Program and After School Activities The Middle School LINK program for students in Grades 6-8 will operate as normal with safety precautions in mind. In the Senior School, a limited number of students will have access to the library and common spaces with the same safety precautions in place.
LOCKER USE
Each division will determine how and when students may be able to use lockers. In general, students should expect to carry their personal items with them throughout the day. Access to lockers will be based on health and safety considerations, supervision, and the developmental needs of students.
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COMMUNICATIONS
Weekly divisional newsletters and the bi-weekly all-school newsletter Under the Cupola will continue to be emailed to all parents and will be archived on the respective Resource Board. The Resource Boards will provide access to all current health and safety measures, including any restrictions in place and current policies and procedures that relate to health and safety and educational resources to support the partnership between Sewickley Academy, it’s families, and the community.
PARENT CONFERENCES
Families will have the option to schedule a virtual meeting using Zoom.
PARENT COFFEES
Parent coffee events will take place as virtually via Zoom. Each coffee event will have a theme or topic of conversation, and parents will have additional opportunities to speak with the Division Head during weekly office hours.
GRANDPARENTS’ AND SPECIAL FRIENDS’ DAY
We will suspend in-person gatherings for this event for the 2020-2021 school year. Programming will be presented virtually.
PERFORMANCES
It is unclear at this time if we will invite the community to live performances such as the Middle School musical, Senior School play, and musical concerts. We hope that as the guidance changes in response to health and safety, we can reconvene large gatherings in the spring.
REMOTE ACCESS TO THE ON-CAMPUS PROGRAM
As a school, we are committed to supporting and facilitating this partnership to ensure that we meet the evolving needs of all involved. If a return to campus would be problematic for your child, he or she can still participate in school remotely. Details per division can be found online.
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ATHLETICS Our Athletic & PE Task Force, fall sports coaches, and senior administrative team have continued to meet to review guidelines and protocols to ensure safety for interscholastic competitions this fall. We have adopted the following to help us achieve our goal of supporting our fall student-athletes and keep them safe:
SENIOR SCHOOL
Managing Contact • Limit the number of competitions in each sport to minimize interactions with other schools’ athletes. • For varsity field hockey and girls and boys soccer, we will play only section opponents, which are required in order to give our students the opportunity to compete for section titles and possible WPIAL tournament play. This means that field hockey will have 10 games, girls soccer 12, and boys soccer 10. • Varsity girls and boys cross country will run in a maximum of five meets and will not compete in large invitationals during the regular season. • Varsity girls tennis will compete in a maximum of 12 team matches. • Varsity co-ed golf will compete for a maximum of 12 dates and will not compete in large tournaments during the regular season. • We are communicating with other schools currently and will post the details of these changes to our website. Managing Safety • Hand sanitizers will be available on the sidelines for all contests. • Coaches will continue to sanitize equipment after practices and games. • Protocols have been developed that will be communicated to and required of visiting teams and officials for health screening. • For all home and away games and matches, Athletic Trainer Suzi Peluso will administer a health screening for each student-athlete attending school on campus in the afternoon. • For those students learning remotely, a health screening will be required via the Magnus Health app. • A maximum of 19 people, including the driver, will be allowed to travel on the SA bus to allow for safe distancing between riders. A maximum of five people, including the driver, will be allowed to travel on an SA van. Families will have the option of driving their child, only, to and from away contests. • Per PIAA and Allegheny County guidelines, no more than 250 spectators are permitted at outside sporting events this fall. Spectators must wear a face mask, and they have been assigned areas to watch sporting events. Sewickley Academy Reopening Plan | 2020-2021 | 14
MIDDLE SCHOOL
• There will be no interscholastic athletic competitions this fall. • Students have four options: 1. Traditional sports practices on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 2. Innovative games and activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3. Fitness Fundamentals Online 4. Independent Physical Education (IPE) • The last two options require students to leave campus at 2:20 p.m. Sewickley Academy has taken the necessary precautions recommended by the federal, state, and local governments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania Department of Health, as well as the National Federation of High Schools and Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association to protect our student-athletes and athletic department staff. As new information regarding COVID-19 emerges, we will revise our procedures and protocols accordingly in our ongoing effort to improve safety measures for our students and staff.
ONLINE REOPENING PLAN More granular details of Sewickley Academy’s Reopening of School Plan can be found online at www.sewickley.org/reopening
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Sewickley Academy FOR WHO YOU ARE. FOR WHO YOU WILL BECOME.
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