March 13, 2020
 
Dear Ranney School Community,
 
We hope your children enjoyed the early start to Spring Break! Faculty, administrators and staff used the professional development day to prepare for the possibility of a move to distance learning. While there have been no reported or confirmed cases of COVID-19 within our community, we continue to plan and make decisions with an abundance of caution and the safety of our community in mind. Therefore we have decided to allow school leadership and administrators to work remotely during the second week of Spring Break. We also plan to make a decision no later than Thursday, March 26 about whether we will resume classes the week of March 30 on campus or remotely.
 
We know many families have canceled Spring Break travel plans, and we wanted to remind you to please limit your child(ren)’s social interactions over Spring Break as social distancing prevents the spread of COVID-19. We have canceled all practices and scrimmages for spring sports over the break.  

We will begin a complete deep cleaning of our campus Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th. We will restrict building access once this cleaning begins. The cleaning process will include 360 hours of meticulous, hands-on work with both an electrostatic sprayer and deep cleaning and disinfecting of floors, desks, and all touch points. 

We will stay in close communication over the break regarding updates and any changes in plan. Please continue to use safety@ranneyschool.org with any questions or concerns. To access ongoing updates, including the information below, please visit: COVID-19 Updates .
 
Please stay safe and we hope students enjoy the break.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. John W. Griffith
Head of School

HOW IS RANNEY ENHANCING ITS CLEANING/
HYGIENE PROTOCOLS?
We will begin a complete deep cleaning of our campus Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th. We will restrict building access once this cleaning begins. The cleaning process will include 360 hours of meticulous, hands-on work with both an electrostatic sprayer and deep cleaning and disinfecting of floors, desks, and all touch points. The School has also stepped up its cleaning protocols with nightly cleaning staff to wipe down all touch surfaces with cleaners approved by the FDA to kill COVID-19. Hand sanitizer is available to students, faculty, and staff. We have adjusted food service to eliminate self-service stations including salad, soup, and infused waters. All food will be served by FLIK staff. FLIK has shared this communication for more information.
WHAT ARE RANNEY'S POLICIES RELATED TO TRAVEL OVER SPRING BREAK?
We know many families have canceled their Spring Break travel plans, so many students will be home for the break. We ask that you limit your child’s social interactions over Spring Break as social distancing prevents the spread of COVID-19.  We have canceled all athletic practices and scrimmages over the break. If students are involved in events sponsored by other organizations over the break, we invite you to use your discretion regarding attendance.  

We recognize that some Ranney families may still have plans to travel during Spring Break. While we cannot ask you to change travel plans, we strongly encourage you to take every precaution and follow CDC and State Department guidelines. Please refer to the 2020-21 School Calendar for help in rescheduling travel, if necessary.

If anyone in your household travels to a place for which the CDC has issued a Level 3 (avoid non-essential travel) advisory, Ranney expects that the family follow any then-current CDC guidelines related to self-care, including but not limited to self-quarantine for two weeks upon return. Please note that conditions can change rapidly in a country at any time, so please check Travel Advisories for your destination.
WILL RANNEY CANCEL SCHOOL-RUN TRIPS INCLUDING MAYMESTER?
After careful consideration, the COVID-19 Task Force has decided to cancel Upper School Maymester travel experiences to Europe, South Africa and Florida planned for this year. The safety of our students is paramount, and although this news is disappointing, we will not risk putting our students' health in jeopardy or the possibility of quarantine while traveling. In the meantime, faculty are working to develop meaningful local alternatives to take the place of these travel programs during the last two weeks of this school year.
 
We are also planning to restrict travel related to other school-sponsored field trips. We will be in touch at the Division level with details about these cancellations.
WILL RANNEY CLOSE IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19?
On March 12, Ranney canceled after-school activities, athletics, and after-care and made the decision to begin Spring Break for students one day early to give faculty the opportunity to continue professional development focused on online classroom resources and to prepare to bring home materials in the event we need to move to virtual learning after the break. 

If a member of your family suspects that they have the virus, we ask that you inform us immediately at safety@ranneyschool.org . A decision to close would be based on the recommendations of government authorities and careful consideration by our COVID-19 Task Force. If this decision is made, families will be notified immediately using the School's emergency alert system.
WHAT IS RANNEY DOING TO PREPARE FOR EXTENDED SCHOOL CLOSURE?.
Faculty and staff are developing division, department, and course-specific online curriculum to support program continuity. Faculty participated in a full day of professional development on March 13 to complete training and plan. In the event of a prolonged school closure, parents and students will be notified of next steps and expectations.

Upper / Middle School:  We are training faculty to conduct online classes to prepare for a possible school closure. Faculty are able to teach via Google Classrooms, Google Meet, and myRanney. Faculty have also been introduced to OBS Studio, a software package that allows faculty to create video lessons that can be used asynchronously and disseminated on youTube, Google Classroom, or in myRanney. 

Lower School:   In the event of school closure Lower School teachers and specialists will provide assignments via myRanney. Faculty are reviewing with their students how to use relevant software and applications. Please complete the form in myRanney to indicate if you have access to the required technology at home (iPads for Beginners through Grade 2 or a chromebook for Grades 3 through 5) or if you would like to borrow a device.
WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE TO PROTECT MY CHILD(REN)?
The same preventive measures that are advised for the flu are advised for COVID-19: 

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Please keep your child(ren) home when they are sick so that they do not expose other children to illness.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow. If it is necessary to use a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

And, of course, all families are reminded to follow Ranney's Sick Policy  when making attendance decisions.
WHAT IS RANNEY'S SICK POLICY-- UPDATED
Please keep your child(ren) home when they are sick so that they do not expose other children to illness.  Review the full Sick Policy here .

Students should stay home if they have any of the following conditions:

  • A temperature above 100 degrees
  • Antibiotics are prescribed for a contagious illness
  • The student has vomited
  • The student has diarrhea
  • The student has an undiagnosed rash
  • A student is diagnosed with a communicable disease (e.g. Influenza, Pneumonia, Strep Throat)
  • A student has severe cold symptoms.
  • A student is lethargic, is pale, has little appetite, and is generally "not him/herself."

The student will be allowed to return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve without fever-reducing medications, when a normal diet can be resumed, and a doctors note is obtained. A student may return to school after taking antibiotics for a minimum of 24 hours. A note from a physician is also required if a student has missed three or more consecutive days.

Students are also discouraged from coming late to school due to illness. If your child does not feel well in the morning, please keep him or her home for the day.
    
You may contact the Health Office directly with details or questions regarding your child.
 
Health Office Contact:  Tara Kardum , 732-542-4777 Ext 1132.
HOW IS RANNEY MONITORING COVID-19?
The COVID-19 Task Force, which includes the Medical Advisory Board, has been closely following developments related to COVID-19 through   Johns Hopkins University (JHU) , the  World Health Organization (WHO) , the   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , the  U.S. State Department,  International SOS (iSOS), and the  New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) . We are also consulting with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) to follow best practices and align ourselves, where appropriate, with our peer schools. In addition to the School's COVID-19 Task Force's monitoring of federal authorities' advisories, our School Nurses are in close contact with our local Health Departments to remain apprised of the latest recommendations.
WHO IS ON THE RANNEY COVID-19 TASK FORCE?
The Ranney COVID-19 Task Force includes members of the Board of Trustees, Medical Advisory Board and Administrative Leadership. 
 
Board of Trustees
Bob Chandler, Chair
Joe Guiliano, Vice Chair
 
Medical Advisory Board
Dr. Shamina Dhillon, Chair
Dr. Ramil Bhatnagar
Dr. Seth Dinowitz
Dr. Meg Fisher
Dr. Amy Goodman
Dr. Niraj Govil '85
Dr. Sunita Mann
Dr. Janine Sanderman
Dr. Brian Torpey
 
Administration
Dr. John Griffith, Head of School
Dr. Greg Martin, Assistant Head for Academics and Head of Upper School
Chuck Zalewski, Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Collins, Chief Advancement Officer
David Ketcham, Head of Middle School
Dr. Andrea Danial, Head of Lower School
Chris Landosky, Director of Operations
Tara Kardum, Health Office 
Sara Zavorek, Director of Marketing & Communications