Dear Day Students and Families,

We are pleased to offer a series of updates specifically for day students. With the help of dedicated colleagues from across campus, we have included important information covering a range of areas: key dates, COVID-19 testing, study spaces, meals, music, theatre, dance, community engagement, athletics, senior t-shirts, and other afternoon activities. We know many of you are missing direct interaction with your friends and teachers, and we are eager as ever to welcome you to campus in a staged and safe manner.

As we move forward with plans to bring day students to campus, the health and safety of our entire campus community remains our top priority. Please remember that during these first two weeks of the fall term, we expect that 9th and 12th/PG day students are maintaining masking and distancing (6+ feet when possible), avoiding travel, and avoiding crowds and groups (especially when masking and distancing are not enforced). We need to trust our community to use good common sense and follow the guidance of our governor and medical director and adhere to the principles of our non sibi pledge on and off campus. We remain on track to continue with our previously announced plans:

Thank you for your patience until your grade/cohort is invited to campus. Registration and arrival day information will be forthcoming.

Dr. Amy Patel, Medical Director
Ongoing testing: We will be testing every student weekly after they begin accessing the campus. For day students in the first cohort, testing will begin September 26. After that, all students will be tested weekly on either Thursday or Friday.

Daily monitoring: Every student and every adult accessing campus must complete the daily symptom/risk screening questionnaire through the electronic health record, Medicat.

Mike Barker, Director of Academy Research, Information and Library Services
For the time that day students are on campus this fall, day student study spaces will be available in the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library, the Underwood Room, Kemper Auditorium, and the Day Student Area in the mezzanine of George Washington Hall. The Gelb Science Center will not be available for day student study space. We will keep you updated as necessary restrictions to spaces and buildings may require our plans to change.

Paresky Commons Team
With day students initially welcome on campus from 3:15-7:45 p.m., dinner will be available from 5-6:30 p.m. The dining experience looks very different; choices are limited, and food is pre-packaged. Meals are grab and go from Paresky Commons with seating available in tents to allow for appropriate social distancing. We are maintaining allergen awareness in food preparation and handling and have options that accommodate restrictions for common food allergies, intolerances, and preferences. If our plans proceed as intended, as of Monday, October 26, day students are welcome to access lunch from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Allen Grimm, Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance
Abbey Siegfried, Chair, Department of Music
Erin Strong, Director of Dance

Dance as a sport will begin at the same time as afternoon athletics on Monday, September 28. At that time, 9th and 12th/PG day students may attend dance classes on campus. Dance classes will be scheduled by group. Faculty will be in touch with those students signed up for Dance as their sport before September 28 to clarify the weekly schedule. Day student dancers will be allowed to use the gym locker rooms to change after class. However, showers will NOT be available.

As of September 28, the 9th and 12th/PG day students cast in Dance and Theatre productions may also attend on-campus rehearsals during the Wednesday Theatre/Dance block from 6-7:45 p.m.

Music ensembles (choral, winds/brass, and strings) will all occur during the 6:15-7:45 p.m. designated Music block on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Chamber music ensembles will be scheduled by group. Ensemble directors and chamber coaches will be in touch by September 28 to clarify weekly schedules.

Graves Hall will be open for individual music practice, recording for application portfolios, etc., beginning on September 28. As with the fitness center, signups will be through an online system and be offered week-by-week. We do not expect that lockers in Graves will be open for use, so we ask students to come to campus with their instruments and music. Exceptions may be made for students who play large instruments. Please reach out to the Music Department directly if this applies to your student.

Blue Cards are required to enter Borden Gym, Graves Hall, and Cochran Chapel.

Monique Cueto-Potts, Director of Community Engagement
Following safety protocols put in place both by PA and our community partners, the Office of Community Engagement will run a limited number of programs in the afternoons and evenings, all via Zoom. We will email students in a couple of weeks about signups and post information on PANet. Students should be on the lookout for information about discussions, forums, and learning opportunities that CE will co-sponsor with CAMD, Brace, and the Addison Gallery. Students can find information about these events on PANet, Facebook (PA Office of Community Engagement), and Instagram (@pa.community.engagement).

Lisa Joel, Director of Athletics
We are excited to welcome our 9th and 12th/PG day students back to campus on September 28 to join athletic activities. The athletic block begins at 3:30 p.m. and ends no later than 5:30 p.m. for many, but not all students, depending on their athletic assignment. Coaches/instructors will be in touch by September 28 to clarify weekly schedules.

As most locker rooms will remain closed this fall, we ask that our day students come to campus dressed for their afternoon activity and bring any necessary sports equipment (racquets, yoga mats/props). Exceptions for locker room access will be made for swimmers, water polo players, dancers, and hockey players. However, please note that showers are NOT available for student use and the equipment room is closed this fall. We ask that day students launder their athletic wear at home.

Senior t-shirts and Under Armour performance face masks--An Under Armour performance/sports mask will be distributed on Saturday, September 26, following your Sykes COVID-19 testing to all returning day students who would like to try this 3-layer performance mask. Please be on the lookout next week for a Google form to sign up for the correct size (S/M, M/L, L/XL). Please note these particular face masks are NOT required though many have found them great for exercise. Also, senior t-shirts will be distributed by the Athletics Department to 12th/PG day students following your Sykes COVID-19 testing.

We ask that day students engaged in athletics provide their own water bottle and be sure to label it with their name.

The fitness center will be available by appointment only for 60-minute (max) workouts. Signups will be online and will be offered week-by-week. The number of appointments per hour is limited to meet state and Academy safety guidelines. We hope that all students who want to use the fitness center will be able to make an appointment twice per week.

Blue Cards are required to enter all athletic facilities, and like the fitness center, usage of all indoor facilities will be limited in numbers.

Jeff Domina, Dean of Faculty
As the fall begins, we faculty are thrilled to be working with our students again! We’re eager to welcome, care for, and teach every student while also cooperating with the community expectations that will help to ensure everyone’s safety. Please note that, in this extraordinary year, many members of the faculty will be working with students in person when it’s safe but that others will continue to work with students remotely. Some teachers and Advisor Point People will meet students in person, but some will not. All of them, however, will be working hard to ensure a great Andover experience for every student.

Please join us for our first PSPA Meeting of the academic year, Thursday, September 17, at 7 p.m.
Zoom link: https://andover.zoom.us/j/96977942093
Passcode: 148283

We miss you, and we look forward to seeing you very soon.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Raynard S. Kington P’24
Head of School