email : Webview : A Message from the Head of School: Reopening Plans Update

July 28, 2020

Dear Haverford School families,

It is hard to believe that August is almost here, and the boys will be back on campus in just a short few weeks. After such a long time without having the boys on campus, it is exciting to think the boys and their teachers, mentors, and coaches will be able to see each other once again. It is sure to be a sweet reunion.

Barring any directive from Governor Tom Wolf or any unforeseen circumstances, the School plans to open on Sept. 9 for in-person learning five days a week.

This school year, of course, will be different from years' past. It will be a new challenge for our community to tackle, but I believe we are ready to take on that challenge with courage and confidence. This challenge will be one that requires everyone to participate. I am calling on all students, faculty, staff, and parents to work together toward the common goal of getting the boys back on campus and being safe while doing so.

The School's Reopening Task Force is working through a plan that will help our community meet that challenge. In late June, I shared a high-level look at the School's plan to bring students and staff back to Haverford's campus safely. I'm excited to share more details about that plan, which the School's Reopening Task Force has been updating and refining since my last email.

The plan, which will continue to evolve and expand throughout the rest of the summer, prioritizes the health and safety of all members of our community. It also is based on the information the School has available at this moment in time. The School's Task Force has spent countless hours working alongside experts at the local, regional, and national level. Decisions about each aspect of this plan have been made using guidelines from organizations like the Montgomery County Department of Health, the CHOP PolicyLab, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control, and health professionals in our community.

Some information and guidance from these and other organizations is still forthcoming. You'll be updated on new or adjusted elements of this plan in August, both by me and by your son's Division Head.

Detailed information for this phase of the plan can be found at haverford.org/reopening, but I will call out a few especially important aspects of the plan here:

Learning scenarios and division schedules:
Much work has been done to completely reimagine the schedules and classroom norms in our learning spaces. Each Division Head has worked to create a schedule that supports student growth, while also adhering to requirements set by state and health authorities. Since each schedule varies by division, your son's Division Head will be emailing about the different learning scenarios, norms, and schedules the week of Aug. 3.

If you are considering keeping your son at home for remote learning this year, please contact your Division Head as soon as possible so we can support his needs.
Self-monitoring for symptoms:
This year, Haverford will require all families to monitor for symptoms - or conduct "symptom surveillance" - at home before arriving on campus each day. Each boy, faculty, and staff member will be required to log their health status in the Magnus Health App. You can read more about the Magnus Health App here. Note that special COVID-19-related sections of the app will be available on July 29.

This process of logging symptoms allows the School to keep track of anyone who is feeling ill and provide support to that child or family, as necessary. All information will be kept confidential and will only be seen by those in the School's Health Office. If there is even a question of whether or not your son is sick or not feeling his best, please keep him home.
Campus access:
This year, the School will limit campus access to students, faculty, and staff only. While it is disappointing, we will not allow on-campus volunteers until further notice. Parents are welcome on campus only if there is an extenuating circumstance, such as an ill or injured child.

If a parent must access campus, they will be required to contact the person they are meeting with in advance, answer health questions upon arrival, and wear a mask for the duration of their time on campus.

This is a disappointing and saddening element of the Reopening Plan, as our parents and other visitors enrich our community in countless ways. The School has made the difficult decision to restrict campus access as a means to minimize risk to our boys and staff, and allow for in-person learning to continue as long as possible.
Expected adherence to norms:
Our School will look different for the 2020-21 school year due to the challenges that COVID-19 presents and the requirements set by the state. In order to keep all members of our community safe, students, parents, faculty, and staff will be expected to adhere to updated norms on our campus. These norms include, but are not limited to, wearing a mask at all times on campus, maintaining a physical distance of six feet between each other, monitoring any symptoms at home for any sign of COVID-19 or other illness, and washing your hands frequently and properly.

This year will be unique and challenging in so many ways. I appreciate your support as the School continues to keep the boys and their safety at the forefront of all we do in this unprecedented and unpredictable time.

As families prepare for the school year to begin, you should continue to monitor your emails for important information coming from me and from your son's Division Head. Information about the School's reopening plan will continuously be updated at haverford.org/reopening.

Please keep in mind that guidelines and requirements continue to adapt and evolve as the science changes, so our plan will almost certainly adjust by the time we welcome boys back to campus on Sept. 9. You can expect to receive updates from your Division Head in August, and another correspondence from me before the start of School in late August.

We've all seen what it means to be Fords Strong this spring and summer. That courage will be needed as we enter the fall season, and I look to every member of our community to do their part to ensure a safe, healthy environment for each of our boys.

Thank you for sending your son to Haverford, and for providing us the opportunity to support his passions, growth, and education, especially during these challenging times. I look forward to seeing each boy in person this fall.

John A. Nagl, D.Phil.
Ninth Head of School

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