February 25, 2021
Tilton Families,

Spring’s symbolism is undeniable: a spirit of renewal floods the campus and our hearts, and this year, we welcome not only an imminent change in the weather, but a shift in the climate of the pandemic. The thermometer topped 40 degrees this week, and already we see students in shorts and sandals skipping between the snowpiles. Winter has lost its icy grip: the very scent of spring is in the air. 

Think of it: Plimpton’s massive windows are open, and warm breezes flow through every classroom. Delicate buds adorn treelimbs, and tulips burst forth in the full satisfaction of spring. Music blasts from the upper floors of Pfieffer, amplifying these good vibrations.

Our students take to the quad to sunbathe, they drag hammocks and kiddie pools out onto the grass, lounging between intense bouts of water fights. They play endless games of volleyball and spikeball and frisbee. Jordan’s Ice Cream become a huge proportion of the weekly calorie intake, with the balance delivered from near constant barbecues on campus. 

These days on the Hill are long and glorious, with sunlit activities pushing late into the evenings: intramural tennis tournaments, student-faculty kickball, and casual, last minute trips to off-campus venues gathers our community together in new ways. Long lingering twilight brings a majestic backdrop to our most important traditions—"promposals,” spring fling, artsfest, stepping up, commencement, and more. Sunsets here are spectacular—doubly so when seen from the turf, the porch of the mansion, from the quiet beauty of the Back Forty, or shared together around a firepit on the quad.

These rites of spring are all within our grasp, even in the COVID era. With months of experience under our belts, we feel confident in our ability to deliver “maximum fun” for our students—and frankly, they deserve it. Our students—YOUR students—have been doing a tremendous job: it has been more than a month since any student tested positive for COVID.

There is more good news. As I write, the country is seeing rapid declines in cases, and a simultaneous acceleration in vaccination. Today, about 15% of Americans have received their first dose of vaccine, and production is on pace to make inoculation available to all by the end of the summer. While hopeful, we are mindful of the risks—and potentially rapid changes in health conditions—from the UK and California variants. With the above details in mind, I wanted to share our plans for Spring Break.

Spring Break: March 20–27 
  • Spring Break is from March 20–27. (Students without athletics or other obligations on March 20 may leave campus on March 19.)
  • Students are expected to depart campus during the break, but any student who is unable to travel may remain on campus. 
  • We will not be conducting any programs or athletic practices during Spring Break.
  • We ask families to enjoy Spring Break week with their students at home, avoiding unnecessary travel and taking steps to minimize COVID risks. Indoor dining remains a particularly risky activity.
  • Students must get a COVID PCR (not "rapid" or "antigen") test three days before returning to campus.
  • We recognize that because of the shortness of the break, students may be arriving on campus without confirmation/results of a negative COVID test.
  • Many testing providers are offering “48 hour turnaround” for student testing, so you may wish to request this option with your provider.

Returning to Campus: March 27 and March 28
  • Students will return to campus on March 27 and March 28. (The Dean of Students office will request signups in a separate email.)
  • We will conduct an on-campus quarantine when students return, but the exact details of the quarantine will be determined in late March, based on then-current health conditions.
  • The most restrictive quarantine we imagine would be similar to the process we used in January, with some modifications. For example, students in singles might “buddy up” with other students during early quarantine. In addition, we will increase opportunities for recreation and outdoor time.
  • Our overall desire is to reduce quarantine restrictions to the extent we can. This could mean cohort-based quarantining or COVID testing at a higher frequency during the early days of return to campus. Other options may emerge.
  • No matter what format our quarantine takes, we will again allow day students to reside on campus during the quarantine period, as many did in January.
  • When we announced our plans for weekly winter COVID testing back in November, we indicated that families would be charged for those tests. This spring, we hope to return to weekly or biweekly testing of just a portion of the student population, and if we pursue this approach, we will not pass along any fees to families. 
  • Please note that it is still possible that the Lakes Region Athletics League may require weekly testing or place other requirements upon us. We will share information as it becomes available.

I will hold two Zoom sessions (March 1 at 11am eastern time and March 1 at 7pm eastern time) to answer questions about Spring Break and Spring Term. Links to those sessions were provided in Wednesday’s parent newsletter.

Thank you for the patience, flexibility, support, and good spirits you’ve brought to this extraordinary year. We look forward to a strong finish—and to a spring term which restores and uplifts our entire campus. 

Truly,

David Thiel
Head of School