May 18, 2020
Dear Menaul School Community,
Menaul School is in a unique position to manage the school reopening this fall successfully and safely.
Here is our plan:
We will have regular classes with the first day of school as August 19, 2020. We expect to hold regular classes following the best hygienic practices recommended by the CDC and others which will include:
- Classroom sanitation professionally daily
- Using UV lights cleansing in the classrooms and public spaces daily
- A schedule of student hand washing
- Masks
- Student temperature monitoring daily
As recommended, we will increase the social distance in classes:
- Spread out in the classrooms
- Use one of our dozen larger spaces or outdoors for bigger classes. If we are required to use a percentage of our capacity, we believe we can hold our classes on a regular schedule by adjusting space use.
- We will move chapel to once a week in the gym or outdoors
We adapted to online learning quickly and effectively so will be able to support a blended learning environment for students with the following issues:
- Heath issues
- Late arriving to school from other countries
- Quarantine for having been exposed to an infected person
This summer we will train faculty in best practices for hybrid or blended learning, so we are prepared to use our strong technological platform and experience to the best degree possible.
We are constantly studying how other countries like the Netherlands and Denmark have reopened their schools. We are preparing to implement best practice protocols, so our students are safe and healthy, access the power of the Menaul School experience which is grounded in community and connection and provide the activities that inspire so many young people. We also are increasing our counseling support for students and staff struggling with the stress of our new reality.
Dutch National Institute for Public Health’s report on children and Covid-19: https://www.rivm.nl/en/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/children-and-covid-19
Lancet study which states that school closures are of questionable value compared to other interventions:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(20)30095-X/fulltext
Denmark successfully reopens primary schools:
This too shall pass. Blessings!
Mr. Lindsey R. Gilbert, Jr.
President and Head of School