6 minute read
We are Wellness Warriors
by SARAH TAYLOR
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
s students arrived on campus for the first day of school in mid-August, community expectations for the fall were filled with excitement and uncertainty. No one, not even the administrators and faculty who had been preparing and planning for months, could predict how students would settle into their new routines. But faith in St. Martin’s to provide quality in-person instruction in a safe and loving atmosphere held strong. At first, everything appeared different and new. In the mornings, parents were tasked with remembering wellness checks and masks, and at school, teachers and students were asked to navigate a daily list of new safety protocols and procedures. Yet after the semi-awkward, first-morning carpool temperature check and spritz of hand sanitizer, students hurried off to classrooms ready for the possibilities awaiting them. As the school year took off and new routines became the norm, the heart of the St. Martin’s experience—the larger-thanlife love the community holds for its students—proved unchanged. SMES faculty and staff figuratively wrapped their arms around each student and welcomed them back to an environment that looked different but still felt comfortingly familiar. Since those first days of school, St. Martin’s has completed nearly five months of inperson learning, a feat many doubted was possible back in August. To continue to achieve this incredible task, St. Martin’s draws on the commitment and togetherness of the community. Whether it's a teacher adapting a lesson for virtual learners, or a parent ensuring weekend playdates remain safe and socially distanced, now more than ever, it takes a village to raise a child. The daily work of being a Wellness Warrior within and outside of school is ever-present. Still, in true St. Martin’s style, community members continue to bring their whole hearts to the now-familiar mantra: Wear a mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance. Students, faculty and staff show off their style by sporting face coverings with glitter and fun patterns, or those that rep their favorite sports teams or brands. In the younger grades, a routine visit to the handwashing station is an opportunity to sing songs and practice counting to 20. The lunchroom can’t accommodate students due to social distancing protocols, so faculty and students adapted. On beautiful fall days, students spread out on the green turf to enjoy lunch safely with friends. “I could not be more proud of the teachers and students
In true St. Martin’s style, community members continue to bring their whole hearts to the nowfamiliar mantra:
Wear a mask Wash your hands Watch your distance at St. Martin's,” says Middle School Principal Tony Shaffer. “Our community has shown a level of discipline that I think few people would have predicted, and yet that has not kept us from having fun at school, learning in creative and active ways, and just enjoying our St. Martin's family.” Making lemonade out of lemons is not easy work, however. In addition to focusing on the curriculum learning objectives, teachers also perform all-important duties like sanitizing classrooms, monitoring student distance and mask-wearing, taking temperatures, encouraging hand sanitizing and making time to meet virtually with at-home learners. “I think a lot of people felt overwhelmed at the beginning of the year with all of the extra things we needed to do to open school,” says 5th-grade teacher Spence Camp. “However, we all adapted fairly quickly, and we don't even think about a lot of the things that were overwhelming us at the start of school. I believe it is very important for the kids who can safely be at school to be here, and likewise for the teachers.” Along with new daily routines came creative changes to major school programs and events. To prevent grade levels from sharing classroom spaces, most co-curricular teachers visit students in their homeroom classrooms bringing religion, world language, drama, art, guidance, technology or music to them. Middle School athletics transformed from A-, B- and C-level teams to 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade teams that participate in intramural competitions rather than interscholastic play. For drama students, the big change was shifting from an in-person audience to performing in front of a camera, requiring an entirely new set of skills as the fall and spring performances shifted online. Clubs and committee meetings, schoolwide assemblies and even Tuesday chapel services are now held virtually and livestreamed as often as possible so the community can still “gather” together online. While many changes this year are clearly visible, like new desk arrangements, hand sanitizing
stations and social distancing markers, a lot of work happens behind the scenes to keep school open. Guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for schools, the SMES facilities management team has incorporated deep-cleaning and disinfecting protocols into their daily duties. Each day, using a Clorox Pro-T-360 system, the team quickly disinfects high-touch areas with a 3-in-1 product deemed effective against viral pathogens. Similarly, always humming in the background are the new, state-of-the-art REME HALO airpurification systems installed in each of the St. Martin’s air conditioning units. Also behind the scenes, the SMES COVID-19 Response Team (CRT) is working overtime to support the school community as it navigates these uncharted waters. The CRT is tasked with daily monitoring of symptomatic or exposed students, faculty and staff along with contact tracing if a case is confirmed. Comprised of medical professionals, including a pediatric infectious disease physician, and several key staff members, the team meets regularly to assess situations in real-time with the goal to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. “The best way to get through life’s challenges is with the support of a team, and SMES parents, faculty, staff and students have proven to be a great team,” says CRT Chair and Athletic Director Mark McDaniel. “I have been very pleased with our students’ willingness to wear masks and follow safety procedures. You can tell they want to be here. Our faculty and staff have done a great job keeping everyone safe, and our parents have been open and honest with the CRT and have followed our requirements, even when inconvenient.” Vital to the CRT’s work is school nurse Pam Pomar, who, with the support of substitute nurse Jenny Pasley, helps the CRT with temperature checks, contact tracing, symptom monitoring and more. In early fall, St. Martin’s introduced a newly renovated school clinic in lower Warrior Hall. Designed to address concerns related to COVID-19 and the general needs of a school clinic, the space is equipped with a dedicated isolation room, an evaluation room, a large office space, a large restroom and plenty of storage. “Our new clinic addresses a number of needs for the school but most importantly it provides ill or injured students with a spacious and comfortable environment in which to receive the care they need,” says Pomar. “We now have individual treatment and recovery areas that allow us to keep a close eye on students while providing a degree of quiet and privacy that we have not been able to achieve in the past. The excellent ventilation and special UV lights improve our infection control abilities beyond distancing and sanitizing.”
In the face of quickly changing circumstances, new safety procedures and the consistent diligence that this year requires, parents have shown overwhelming support for the school’s execution of full-scale, in-person learning. “As the new year begins, with many of 2020’s challenges still in play, it is as important as ever to continue to be dedicated Wellness Warriors,” says Head of School Luis Ottley. “When this pandemic is behind us, the SMES community will look back on their efforts and victories during the height of COVID-19 with incredible pride. Until then, remember to Wear your mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance.”
SMES COVID-19 Response Team (CRT) is tasked with daily monitoring of symptomatic or exposed students, faculty and staff along with contact tracing.
