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Dear Hotchkiss Community,
As we near the end of the academic year, all members of the community -- students, families, faculty, and staff -- should feel some relief and pride. The Health Center has administered almost 23,000 COVID tests since the start of the spring semester, and we have detected only four cases in the campus community (see testing dashboard). We have so far kept all members of the community safe from serious illness while engaging in most facets of boarding school life. Yet there have been significant restrictions to some programs and life on campus. It has been an unusual and challenging year, and we have come this far because the community has committed to making it happen, for which we are deeply grateful.
We expect next year to be quite different. On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its emergency use approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12-15. This means all Hotchkiss students living in the USA will be eligible to receive the vaccine before the start of the next school year. The CDC announcement last week that vaccinated persons may resume most activities without masks and distancing is also an important milestone. The widespread availability, safety, and efficacy of vaccines allow us to plan for in-person learning in the fall and a thoughtful return to a robust and less-restricted campus program that includes full athletic seasons, arts performances, community gatherings, and many other aspects of life in our residential community. We do not plan to offer the option of remote learning in the 2021-22 school year.
Vaccination for all students
The Hotchkiss School will require all students to be fully vaccinated starting in the fall. Families should make arrangements for students to complete a full course of vaccine (a second shot in the case of Pfizer or Moderna) at least two weeks prior to the student's return to campus or participation in any school-offered programs (such as pre-season athletic training). Exceptions will be provided only for documented medical or religious reasons that are filed with the School in accordance with state requirements.
For students unable to obtain the vaccine in their home country, Hotchkiss will provide access to vaccination options in the fall. We will communicate further information over the summer. We will also provide guidance for students who may receive or have already received a vaccine that is not approved by the U.S. FDA. As always, the School also strongly encourages all students to receive an annual flu shot, which is available each year at the Health Center.
The path back to normality
Ensuring that the community is vaccinated is the clearest path to easing or eliminating restrictions on campus life while keeping the community healthy. Still, we remain mindful that the pandemic rages on in some parts of the world, and that the virus is virulent and evolving. It remains possible, even likely, that some degree of testing, masking, and other protocols will be with us as we move forward, though we hope in ever smaller degrees. As in the current school year, we will monitor guidance from the CDC and the State of Connecticut, as well as recommendations from outside experts and the standards set by peer schools in determining safety protocols for the next school year. We will communicate relevant updates as further information becomes available.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership. We look forward to a safer and more "normal" fall at Hotchkiss.
Sincerely,
Craig W. Bradley Head of School
Richard Davis Associate Dean of Faculty COVID Coordinator
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