January 8, 2021
Dear Cushing families,
We are eagerly preparing for student arrival and repopulation of campus on January 28th and 29th. Please read the following information carefully to prepare for your student’s return to campus.
QUARANTINE INFORMATION
All students, boarding and day, who plan to return to campus should begin their quarantine on January 14th. During this time, students must complete the AUXS Safety App daily. For more information on quarantine, please review the Health Services Guide. Included in this Health Services Guide is an outline of COVID-19 testing protocols and timelines that students need to follow before returning to campus.
ARRIVAL SIGN-UP FOR BOARDING STUDENTS
Similar to our reopening in late August, we ask again that families sign up for campus arrival time slots. Upon arrival, students will take a COVID-19 PCR test and then proceed to their dormitory for an on-campus quarantine. Use this Campus Arrival Signup Form to secure an arrival time slot for January 28th or 29th.
ROOMMATE REQUESTS
The Academy is carefully considering the possibility of students having roommates for the spring semester. The decision will be based on the changing pandemic landscape, health professionals' recommendations, and our campus community's needs. Housing assignments, including roommate assignments (if feasible), will be shared before student arrival. Students who wish to have a roommate should complete the Student Roommate Request form by 12:00 pm on Friday, January 15th. If students do not complete this form, they will likely remain in the same room as in the fall. If students have concerns about their housing from the fall or their Waddle placement, they should reach out to the Office at Student Affairs (studentaffairs@cushing.org).
DAY STUDENTS
Day students should sign up for an arrival slot, arrive on campus on the selected day, get a COVID-19 test, and then depart. Please be sure your children are carefully quarantining as we await test results. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in Massachusetts and our surrounding towns. With this in mind, we again urge parents of day students to continue to monitor their children's activities when they are not in school—minimizing gatherings, not attending youth sports, and avoiding other potential exposures. Students should conduct symptom screens before coming to campus as usual, whether on an academic day or the weekend for an activity. Day students will continue to have their temperatures taken in Admissions each day upon arriving on campus. It is imperative that day students follow the Penguin Promise and understand that they must limit their activities and conduct themselves, as much as possible, in a manner similar to boarding students.
While we anticipate that day students will be on-campus, this could change at any time due to the state of the pandemic and recommendations by our medical team. As was the case in the fall, day students can elect to board. If you are interested in this option, please reach out to Catherine Pollock at cpollock@cushing.org.
RETURN-TO-CAMPUS WEBINAR
On Thursday, January 14th, at 7:00 pm Eastern Time, I will host a webinar for Cushing families about campus repopulation for the spring semester. Please register, and feel free to submit any questions you may have so we can plan to answer them during the webinar.
We are looking forward to having students back on campus! In the meantime, be well.
Sincerely,
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