Feb. 28, 2022
Dear Chatham Hall Community,
With Spring Break just a few days away we can feel the excitement in the air! I wanted to take this opportunity to share some updated easements and remind the community of our expectations for keeping each other safe and healthy when we return. By doing so, we can ensure our spring is full of fun and graduation is the joyous occasion our seniors deserve.
Effective Tuesday, March 1, Chatham Hall will be mask optional throughout campus. Students and employees may be maskless in hallways, classrooms, the dining hall, on dorm, in offices (including shared offices), etc. Gloves will no longer be required to be used at meals in Yardley. Given the COVID-19 rates in our county, students will need to be masked when off campus, including in the town of Chatham. We continue to monitor COVID-19 rates in our area, and hope to be able to ease this requirement in the weeks to come.
Before students arrive back on campus on Sunday, March 20, we will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test administered no later than 72 hours prior to return, or Thursday, March 17. This must be emailed to Director of the Health Care Center Lynne Shelton at lshelton@chathamhall.org. This negative test is required BEFORE students return to campus. Students will be tested again five days after their return to campus, on Friday, March 25.
Throughout Spring Break, and especially from the date of their negative test to their campus return, we ask students and families to be mindful of being in public spaces and their possible exposure to COVID-19. As always, we ask families to be forthcoming to Chatham Hall if they have been in contact with a COVID-19 case during the break or feel that they may be exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
We continue to be in frequent contact with our local health contact who has confirmed that, going forward, it will be safe for us to ease the quarantine requirement on those who are fully vaccinated and have been exposed to COVID-19. Fully vaccinated individuals who have been exposed to COVID-19 will be required to adhere to strict masking and monitoring, but will not be quarantined away from the community.
At this time, we are expecting that after our return from Spring Break we will be able to welcome all spectators to our outdoor athletics competitions, and masks will be optional. We are very excited about this!
As we make these and future easements, we must remember that there are many ways we can continue to take precautions against COVID including being vaccinated and boosted, social distancing, alerting the Health Care Center to exposures and possible symptoms, and voluntarily masking. We know that there will be many people who continue to feel most comfortable while wearing a mask, and expect that everyone will continue to treat each community member with kindness and respect as we each make our own masking decisions.
Please continue to check your email, especially during the upcoming Spring Break period, as we will continue communicating about COVID-19 via email if necessary. And again, thank you for all that you and your family are doing to help us protect each other!
Sincerely,
