Before the 2020-2021 school year started, the GA community was informed that the Upper School would operate at a 50% student capacity. This initial plan was supposed to end on October 9, with the administration making a decision on how to proceed prior to that date. At the end of September, Head of School Rich Schellhas sent out an update extending the hybrid model through Thanksgiving break.
When asked to elaborate on his reasons to extend the hybrid schedule, Mr. Schellhas emphasized caution. He reiterated from his September email that his goal was to keep an in-person option open for students as long as possible and that “when [other schools] pushed too quickly to open up they found themselves needing to go completely virtual for a period of time”. He also said that he is trying to “avoid at all costs” any circumstances that would force the school to go fully virtual.
An Upper School faculty member, Judy Krouse, Class of 1760, says that she “looks forward to the days when students are in the building much more than [she does] with the days they are all at home”, emphasizing the importance of continuing to have an in-person option for as long as possible, for the benefit of both students and teachers.
A decision on whether or not the administration will decide to bring the entire Upper School fully in-person will occur prior to December 1. According to Mr. Schellhas, the most important factors in the administration’s decision are how students are physically distancing when they are not in the presence of teachers both in and out of school, positive testing rates, cases count in Montgomery County, and faculty confidence in the student body. He emphasized the large role students play in how the school year progresses. His goal for the next few weeks is to continue to “build confidence that students are committed to following the guidelines” in all of their day to day activities.
As far as faculty confidence in a full reopening plan, Ms. Krouse says “I personally am okay with us reopening as long as we can keep testing and continuing health checks” because she sees the community diligently wearing masks and sanitizing when they walk into classes. She also stresses that there might be other faculty members or members of the community who are not as comfortable with being in a building at full capacity, and that it’s important to respect those who might feel that way.
Mr. Schellhas remains hopeful that if positivity rates stay very low and students continue to maintain distance and wear masks that the entire Upper School could be able to be in-person on December 1.
