Dear Amana Community:
We are looking forward to welcoming students back in the building next week for Base Camp and Open House, and on Monday, August 9 for the first day of school. We recognize that there is still a lot of uncertainty about what school will look like this year, so we wanted to provide you with some advance notice around our COVID-19 policies and protocols for the start of the school year. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we’ve received:
Will Masks be Mandatory?
Yes - masks will be mandatory for all adults and students while in the building. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in their most recent guidance:
All students older than 2 years and all adults should wear face masks at school (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use).
The AAP recommends universal masking in school at this time for the following reasons:
- a significant portion of the student population is not eligible for vaccination
- protection of unvaccinated students from COVID-19 and to reduce transmission
- lack of a system to monitor vaccine status among students, teachers and staff
- potential difficulty in monitoring or enforcing mask policies for those who are not vaccinated; in the absence of schools being able to conduct this monitoring, universal masking is the best and most effective strategy to create consistent messages, expectations, enforcement, and compliance without the added burden of needing to monitor vaccination status
- possibility of low vaccination uptake within the surrounding school community
- continued concerns for variants that are more easily spread among children, adolescents, and adults
Based on these reasons, the administration recommended a policy of universal masking for adults and students to our Governance Board at the Board meeting on July 29, and the board voted to accept the school’s recommendation.
Is virtual school still an option?
We do not plan to offer a virtual option. We feel very strongly that having students present for in-person instruction is by far the best scenario for everyone involved. We will continue to take precautions and have several mitigation measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff. These include:
- Universal masking indoors
- Maintaining social distancing of 3-feet when possible
- Handwashing stations in every classroom
- Limiting the number of visitors in the building
- Cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces
- Contact tracing
We feel very strongly that, with these strategies in place, we can all return safely to the building.
Do middle school kids need COVID shot to be admitted into school?
While we strongly recommend that anyone eligible to receive the vaccine do so, it is not a requirement for admission to the building.
Will Fridays still be virtual days?
The majority of Fridays will be early-release at 1PM, going back to the pre-pandemic schedule. Additionally, we learned from last year’s experience that virtual Fridays (asynchronous) were beneficial to faculty and students; and based on survey results from last May there was overwhelming support from parents for converting one Friday of each month into a virtual day. An announcement regarding which dates will be asynchronous will be made soon after we consult with our Governance Board.
Has the schedule changed for school learning hours? I heard it was starting earlier.
The school schedule is as follows:
Monday - Thursday 7:50AM until 3:25PM
Fridays 7:50AM until 1:00PM
Will an example school day for kids be given soon?
Students will have an opportunity to see their schedule at Base Camp and/or Open House on Friday, August 6.
How is Amana handling the Delta Variant?
We will continue to monitor community spread.
We recognize that universal masking is not where we hoped we’d be at the start of the school year. Our hope is that, as more people receive the vaccine, and once the vaccine is approved for use by children under 12, we’ll be able to revisit this policy. Please bear with us as we try to make the best choices for all of our students, and for the broader Amana community.
Sincerely,
Ehab Jaleel
Executive Director
Najla Abdul-Khaliq
Principal
