On-Campus Instruction - Georgetown Day School

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As we have contemplated our return to campus amidst COVID-19, GDS has been informed by science and data, keeping the health of our entire community at the forefront of our minds.

A growing body of research from schools locally and nationally, along with our own phased reopening and safety measures, have made us confident that our students can safely be back on campus for indoor, in person instruction when our decision making matrix and operating statuses support it.

What Does In-Person Instruction Look Like

Happy HS students physically distanced on the field

Families may opt into in person, indoor instruction. It is important to acknowledge that we won’t be returning to school as we knew it. The entire way of being in a classroom and in school has been adjusted to meet health and safety guidelines.

We are using a "HyFlex" model, meaning that our teachers can concurrently teach live lessons to some students in person while others are home learning virtually. All of our teaching spaces are equipped with technology that allow teachers to interact with both groups of students, including in-class cameras and microphones so that at-home students are able to see and hear what’s happening in the classroom and participate. All students will have access to the educational experience they have come to know from GDS, whether in-person or virtual.

Students who opt into being on campus will be expected to wear masks at all times (except while eating), keep six feet apart at all times, and wash or sanitize hands regularly. Teachers will be following the same rules and reminding students often of their community commitments.

COVID-19 Testing

Logistics

Transportation

Schedule

Lower School

With our closed cohort model, Lower School students can be on campus daily.

Middle School

Students in grades 5 and 6 are invited to take part in on-campus instruction four days a week and students in grades 7 and 8 two days per week each (along with two days of virtual instruction), currently in closed-cohort models..

High School

We have divided the High School student population in half, so there are only approximately 250 students in the building at one time, making it much easier for us to maintain social distancing and ensure safety protocols are being met to high standards. We are providing a school-day schedule that closely resembles our students' actual schedules, meaning they will be able to take as many of their classes as possible in person.

Review our updated calendar for November 2020–January 2021.

Inside the Building

We’ve planned for a minimum of 7 feet of distance between each student’s desk and the next. In many cases, because we are also limiting the number of people in each room, more than 7 feet is possible. Desks have been turned to face the front of the classroom. In some cases, students may sit at tables with partitions between themselves and anyone else at the table, with a minimum of 6 feet between students.

All classrooms have either sinks or hand sanitizer. Students and staff wash hands or use hand sanitizer at least every 90 minutes.

To provide for physical distancing, we are using some non-traditional spaces that have been converted into classroom spaces. Performance arts classrooms, science classrooms, and other spaces previously designed for other purposes have been outfitted with the appropriate furniture, materials, and technology needed.

We have incorporated mask breaks into in-person programming. Current guidance is that mask breaks should be taken outside and socially distanced whenever possible.

In an effort to reduce mixing of students, some hallways and staircases have become one-way and different groups of students are assigned different entry and exit doorways. There is signage throughout the buildings to indicate everything from where to stand to which direction to walk in the hallways, as well as reminders to wear a mask and directions on how to wash hands and practice respiratory hygiene.

Students do not have access to lockers or locker rooms at this time. This is in an effort to reduce crowding and ensure distancing in shared spaces.

Dining

Lower School students eat snacks in classrooms; Middle School students and Lower School students participating in 360 will eat outdoors. Our dining partner, Merriweather-Godsey, is providing pre-packaged lunches (as well as milk and milk alternatives individual containers) for all Middle School students and Lower School students participating in 360 as part of tuition and for interested High School students for a fee. Families may opt to bring food from home. Information about food ordering is available at www.GDS.org/Dining. Menus are shared at least two weeks in advance. Students should bring a water bottle from home every day.

Extended Day

LMS families requiring childcare for their students after-school on HyFlex days can take part in clubhouse or homework center programming. To meet public health guidelines and recommendations, registration is only provided to students needing programming on all days they are on campus. We are unable to accommodate drop-ins or students who only wish to attend a few days a week. Students are grouped by grade and seated at least 6 feet apart from other students within their daytime cohorts, and may be grouped with other cohorts, with at least 10 feet of distance between students of different cohorts. GDS 360 cohorts will be limited to 12 students per grade.

How Might Our Plans Change

Part of our work is to stay current with both research and public health trends and adjust our approach as necessary. All of our plans for in-person instruction are contingent on regional public health. Any meaningful change in COVID-19 cases locally or within the GDS community will necessitate our return to GDS Virtual Campus. We fully expect that we will need to pivot back and forth between virtual and in-person instruction for the remainder of this school year.