Mr. Schellhas, Head of School, announced on Thursday July 30 that students and families have the option to return to campus in the fall or participate in the virtual program, GA at Home.
GA plans to open the week of Aug. 31. The school has gone 1.7 million dollars above the initial budget to ensure the safety of the community by increasing staffing and technology, and updating facilities. However, families will get to decide themselves whether or not to return to campus. If families decide to start the year virtually, they should fill out and submit the form by Aug. 17.
GA at Home will be different from Virtual GA. Students will use Zoom to connect to their classes, and will be able to participate as if they were on campus. They will be featured on the smartboard, and the new installed audio systems will allow them to ask questions and participate.
“Teachers will be prepared to teach students as though their hair is on fire, whether on campus or at home,” said Schellhas.
Schedules will look different this year. Classes have expanded to 55 minutes to allow for 10 minute transitions between classes. To accommodate social distancing, class sizes have been reduced significantly, and teachers have added additional sections to make sure that students’ schedules can still be accommodated. The Middle and Upper School combined has added “more than 70 sections,” said Schellhas. Students may have also noticed a block called “flex time” in their schedules. Flex time will allow for club meetings, extra help/office hours, assemblies, extended advisory, etc. Assemblies, house meetings, and class meetings will also now be virtual due to social distancing requirements.
The Health Center implemented a new required system for on-campus students. Families returning to campus will use Magnus Health, starting Aug. 24, to log monitor any possible symptoms and temperatures. The Health Department is teaching faculty about precautions and will be enforcing strict sickness guidelines this year. “The goal is to take care of the community as a whole,” said nurse Lori Andress. A new quarantine section in the old music lesson rooms has been added for those experiencing symptoms. The nursing staff has expanded, and students will have daily mid-day health checks. The general rule of thumb is if a student doesn’t feel well, they should stay home.
Just as students would be able to take a bathroom break, students will be able to take mask breaks. Mask breaks are exactly what they sound like. Mask breaks have different meanings depending on the location of the class. On the first floor, students can step outside and take in the fresh air. On the second and third floors of the Upper School, a mask break may entail moving to the back of the classroom and removing the mask while still taking notes and listening attentively, or stepping into the hall.
Tests will be given in various formats this school year, depending on the course and teacher. Some teachers will use Google Forms, other testing software on their computer, or give physical, paper tests. Additionally, teacher meetings might have to work differently depending on the space. If the teacher has a small office, the student may have to meet the teacher in another classroom, hallway, or the library.
The details for lunch are still being planned by Dr. MacKean and Dr. Torrey, but they will take on a rotation. For example, on some days lunch could be by advisory, and some days a grade may sit outside with proper social distancing and supervision. However, these details are yet to be confirmed.
Traditions during the 2020-2021 school year will have to be reinvented. However if the school is open, then there will be an effort to continue these traditions this year in some shape and form, said Schellhas. Flag Raising 2020 will be virtual this year, and GA/PC is to be determined based on further decisions that the Inter-Ac makes as we start the school year. hallway decorating may look different this year. Senior Step may have to be practiced on the football field or quad instead of the gym.
To prepare the facilities, Mr. Houston, Director of Facilities at GA, has gone through every ventilation system, and there has been a new ventilation system installed in the Arts Center. He has also expanded cleaning and disinfecting, installed plastic barriers such as in the library, and added additional security and staff to help with arrival, dismissal, dining, and the hallways. After school, students will go to their activities as usual, but they are otherwise expected to go home. However, there will be designated areas with supervision where students can go. Students will have limited access to lockers, most likely only at the beginning and end of the day, and there will be unidirectional hallways and staircases.
Director of College Counseling, Ms. Mason, says that the new norms will have little impact on college counseling. While the school is unable to host the college reps, these meetings will be scheduled virtually and will be “as normal as possible,” said Ms. Mason. The biggest issue that College Counseling is figuring out how to comply with restrictions for the SAT, which the school normally hosts. In short, if the school is open and the SAT isn’t fully cancelled, it will be held. Seniors should not be worried about how this will affect their interaction with their college counselor. The difference will be that instead of looking at the screen together, counselors may use screen share on Zoom and Google docs.
Over Summer 2020, the administration has been in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Medicine, and Research Review from Center for Disease Control. Throughout the summer, fall-season teams have been able to hold socially distanced training, and finally on July 17, the Class of 2020 had their graduation ceremony and celebration. While the physical aspect of school may be unusual this school year, the administration hopes to make it feel as normal and comfortable as possible.
To Submit reactions and thoughts about the reopening plan please click here or comment below.
Great.