January 13, 2022
Thank you to every member of our community for helping to ensure we are remaining as safe as possible by adhering to our protocols. I write today to share the results of the current week’s COVID-19 testing and related protocol updates.
Our testing results from the week of January 10 were as follows:
January 10 tests: Positive cases included seven boarding students and two adults.
January 11 tests: Positive cases included five boarding students, four day students, and three adults.
In consultation with EH&E, we will continue to move forward with in-person learning with a few protocol modifications due to the continued elevated risks associated with the Omicron variant. We will also remain in Phase Level Yellow.
A summary of the protocols is below. The Health and Safety Task Force will review each of these items on a weekly basis. For the remainder of this week and all of next week:
- Our consultants at EH&E have recommended we continue to avoid all-school in-person events and gatherings. However, EH&E noted that we can accommodate a reduced number of attendees in the Class of ‘45 Hall, providing three feet of distance between individuals. Therefore, our Chapel services will resume in-person with a reduced number of students and adults, allowing for two Forms to attend at one time. Details on how this will work—which Forms and which adults will be present for which services—will be shared with faculty, staff, and students this evening.
- School meeting will be held remotely on Wednesday, January 19.
- Masks will continue to be required in all common spaces within each dormitory.
- The Dining Hall protocols remain the same, and we will continue to allow students and faculty and staff to carry out meals if they desire. The two lunch shifts will remain in place to help reduce density.
- All other planned weekend activities, including off-site activities and events, will continue to move forward.
- For our Athletics program, the ISL and NEPSAC are allowing competition only for athletes who are fully masked. We are also requiring masks for practices as well.
- We will continue with weekly PCR surveillance testing for our entire community.
Thank you for your attention to these important protocols.
