Jan. 6, 2022

Dear Chatham Hall Community,

I hope you have all had a good start to our January Term, it has been a long time in the making and we are thrilled it is finally here! We know these early days of the term are not the same because we are not together but we will see each other soon!

I wanted to remind everyone that prior to the Jan. 9 return to campus, we do expect all families to be following CDC guidelines regarding COVID precautions and ask that for the rest of this week all community members stay close to home, avoid large social gatherings, and stay away from high-risk activities. We continue to encourage wearing masks in all public places, social distancing, and frequent hand washing regardless of vaccination status. For those community members who have yet to receive a booster, we highly encourage this to take place as soon as possible. We all see how the Omicron variant is sweeping through the country and our ability to fully function as a school depends on our ability to minimize exposure to this variant.

Here at Chatham Hall, student testing for those that had to return to campus and could not access testing yielded one positive test result as of today. We are moving forward with all of our exposure protocols as we have with previous situations. 

Once again, we again strongly encourage all students to return to campus having already had a test and shared their negative results with Nurse Lynne. In fact, to help us understand and manage campus return we now ask one more thing of families. Even for those who may have a test scheduled between now and campus return, we ask that you please alert Nurse Lynne as soon as possible at lshelton@chathamhall.org. The more scheduled tests and test results of which we are aware, the faster we can return to normal on campus. Please try to help us in this regard. Of course, any students who have a positive result should isolate at home according to CDC guidelines.

And before this big travel weekend we once again remind everyone of our Jan. 9 return to campus protocols. Unfortunately, with the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the world, we have some extra guidelines. When students return to campus on Sunday, please remember:
  • Students should be dropped off at Pruden, leave their luggage in the Well, and proceed immediately to the HCC to either confirm their COVID-19 test result or have a COVID test administered.
  • Following the HCC, students should proceed to their dorm rooms for the afternoon and evening of Jan. 9. We ask that students do not visit at this time.
  • Parents will not be permitted indoors or, therefore, on dorm. We want to minimize exposure as we all return.
  • Masks must be worn indoors at all times with the exception of when students are in their dorm rooms. January Term classes will continue in person on Monday, Jan. 10.
  • Dinner will be distributed in Yardley at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Meals will be boxed and brought back to students’ rooms.
  • Quiet hours will be observed on dorm for Sunday evening so we can get a good start on Monday. 

At this time, we also plan on:
  • A second round of testing to take place on campus five to six days after the return of the first round/arrival testing. 
  • Similar to the start of school after any break during COVID, there will be limits on the number of students visiting any dorm room until second round test results are returned. 
  • Meals will continue to be provided and eaten in Yardley, and, for our first week back, also in Dutch. In both locations, students will be expected to mask if they are not eating. Our Meriwether-Godsey friends will serve students from the servery lines our first few days back.
  • Masks will be required during active afternoon activities. Masks may also be required during some athletics competitions dependent on test and test result timing and any updates to VISAA regulations. Coaches will have updates for all teams.
  • Masks will continue to be required in classrooms, shared offices, and indoor public spaces per state mandate. 
  • We will not have seated meals the week of Jan. 9. As always, seated meals will commence when the Dean of Students gives us this update following test results. 

Please continue to be forthcoming to Chatham Hall if your student or any family members have been in contact with a COVID-19 case during the break or feel that they may be exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. Thank you very much to those families that have been in touch with Lynne Shelton. A reminder that Nurse Shelton’s email is lshelton@chathamhall.org

Finally, and looking to the near future, we have recently had a number of questions regarding our Winter Long Weekend, which takes place Jan. 26-31. Travel has unequivocally been more complicated recently, and we are now planning to keep campus open during this time for those students who are not able to go home due to distance, travel complications etc. We are also planning:
  • To offer weekend activities both on and off campus during the Winter Long Weekend. 
  • To require a negative COVID-19 test result returned within 24 hours of students returning to campus. Please feel free to secure the local test appointment well in advance of the weekend, if possible.
  • That families who welcome their child for the weekend will follow CDC guidelines related to limiting social interactions, masking etc. 
  • Not to offer airport shuttles for the weekend. 
  • Briefly resuming dining hall and dorm precautions immediately following the long weekend. 

If you have questions regarding the January Long Weekend, please don’t hesitate to contact Dean of Students Marin Miller at mmiller@chathamhall.org. Also, please be assured that we are already looking ahead to spring activities and Spring Break and will be in touch as soon as we have plans confirmed.

Sincerely,
Rachel A. Connell
Rector