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As the end of August draws closer, we are getting more and more excited about welcoming students back to campus. In parallel, plans for the opening days of School are coming into clearer focus. Please find below some important information and updates related to the Hotchkiss Health Center, pre-arrival COVID-19 testing, guidance for safe travel, and some insight into what it will be like to quarantine as a Bearcat.
We are also pleased to communicate that School enrollment decisions are now final. Any families continuing to experience extenuating circumstances that might affect their choice to attend School in-person vs. online should contact Erby Mitchell P'21, dean of admission and financial aid.
Please also look for a Family Update communication this Thursday which will contain practical, back-to-school information for your student including reminders about book ordering and laundry options, as well as important changes to the student bank.
I. Health Matters
First, let's cover the important health updates.
Parent Action Required: Hotchkiss Health Center We realize that this academic year will be unlike any other, and we appreciate the trust you place in our Health Center team. We are fortunate to be working with the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and Environmental Health & Engineering (EHE) to assist us in planning Health Center practices for the academic year ahead. In order to maximize the safety of students and healthcare providers, "telehealth" services provided via videoconferencing will be an important means of providing medical care to students and will be the primary channel for counseling.
Please Complete this Telehealth Consent Form In order for us to provide telehealth care to your child/children, parents must complete this consent form. If you have multiple students at Hotchkiss, a separate consent form should be provided for each child. Completed telehealth consent forms should be scanned and uploaded to the Health Center Portal by August 24.
Update: Pre-School COVID-19 Testing As previously communicated, students must be tested within seven (7) days of arriving on campus. As arrival dates approach, we would like to remind you to plan ahead for this testing and to confirm that your intended test location will do the following: -
Perform PCR testing
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Accept a patient under age 18
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Perform the test even if your student does not have symptoms and/or has not had contact with a COVID-19 patient
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Provide you with a printed result
New: At-Home Testing Will Be Accepted We understand that depending on where you live, it may be increasingly difficult to get tested, and that timing the delivery of the results can also be problematic. We have therefore approved the use of at-home testing.
Different home tests are available, including Vault Health and LetsGetChecked. Please be aware that the processing time for these tests can be up to five (5) days. In addition, demand for the tests may be high. Therefore, if you are going to use an at-home test, we strongly recommend that you order it right away. You must have the test in-hand a week before your scheduled arrival date to be sure that you will have the results in time.
The uninsured cost of testing is $150.00. This may or may not be covered by your insurance. If this cost presents a hardship and your student is receiving financial assistance, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
If Your Student Previously Had COVID-19 A previous case of COVID-19 can result in a positive test result, even if the patient is fully recovered. If your child is in this situation, please contact Hotchkiss Medical Director Dr. Jared Zelman P'04.
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If You Have Not Received Your Test Result -- Please Stay Home
Please do not come to campus until your student has a negative test result. If your arrival will be delayed for this or any other reason, please contact Deans' Office Assistant Amber Jordan at (860) 435-3739. In this case, your student will start the year online (along with other students across the country and around the world) until they are able to provide a negative test result. The online program, including new-student orientation, will be fully engaging and inclusive, so families should not worry if their student needs to begin the year at home.
Please note that in the case of students (primarily those who are international) who have unavoidable travel issues and cannot delay their arrival, we will have limited quarantine space on campus. These students will be required to quarantine away from others on campus until their negative test result is received. If your child is in this situation, please contact Amber Jordan at (860) 435-3739.
Ongoing Access to Healthcare on Campus To ensure safe access to healthcare throughout the year, we have implemented new check-in processes for the Health Center. Among other changes, students will use the Health Center Portal both to make appointments and to request care. To minimize the number of people waiting in the Health Center, nurses will call students in their dorm room to determine the best course of action.
Students without symptoms of COVID-19 will receive care in the Health Center. Those with symptoms of the virus will be cared for in a separate location.
Students who receive daily medication from the Health Center will be provided with designated windows of time to pick-up their medication and will use a separate entrance. During the initial quarantine period, medications will be delivered to student dorm rooms.
Counseling services will also be available. The Counseling Department has five licensed counselors available. If your child is interested in setting up an appointment or you have a question or concern, please email Jodi von Jess, director of counseling. |
II. Safe Travel
As much care as we will take of students once they arrive on campus, it is extremely important that students -- and families -- stay safe while traveling to get to Lakeville. We therefore strongly encourage you to practice extreme care while you are in transit both to and from School.
Travel in your own or a personal car if possible. If you must take public transportation, wear a suitable mask, ensure physical distance whenever possible, and bring a supply of hand sanitizer and cleaning wipes. Use them regularly in public locations.
For more detailed guidance, please refer to the CDC website.
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III. Quarantine Like a Bearcat
We know that many families are concerned about the experience their student(s) will have during the quarantine period on campus. This won't be a traditional opening to School, but it will still be Hotchkiss -- and we will do everything it can to make it rewarding and engaging.
Community Compact Keeping the community safe will rely on everyone's commitment to personal accountability and communal responsibility. With this in mind, we will soon send out a Community Compact, which we will ask every student to sign. The Compact will outline the School's implicit and explicit expectations of each community member with respect to safety and active participation in maintaining the health of the community. Look for more information to come.
Arrival Day After your student gets checked in at the Mars Athletic Center (MAC), we will help them get into their room where they will then have the opportunity to unpack, decorate, and start making it feel like home. No matter when your student arrives, Proctor Training (for proctors), Orientation (for new students), or Opening Days activities (for returning students) will begin later that day. While the programming will be virtual, we will keep everyone busy and engaged.
The First Two Weeks and Beyond Dorm-based initiatives will start right away. Students will participate in a variety of physically distanced outdoor activities together with others from their floor. As always, feeds (which will be safe and physically distant), will be an integral part of dorm life. Throughout the year, a connection to the dorm community will be fostered and strengthened.
Online classes for all students will start on Monday, September 7, while in-person classes and co-curriculars will begin on Thursday, September 17 (14 days after the last students arrive on campus). As previously communicated, the list of co-curricular choices is extensive, offering students options to play sports, engage in special interests, or try something completely new. The faculty is immersed in co-curricular activities like never before, and we are excited about making this a rewarding experience.
What else can you look forward to? Traditional restrictions to our internet network will be relaxed during the quarantine period to allow students increased access. Students will continue to be able to order food for delivery, subject to safety protocols currently being developed. And ... saving the best for last ... there will be no Saturday classes! Instead, this time will be used for advisory, dorm life, Community Conversations, and community building.
Our focus will be on safety -- but also on making sure that Hotchkiss feels like Hotchkiss.
As always, please refer to the Reopening page on the website for a list of names and contact information where you can direct your questions.
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