Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

1. Between November 21 and 29, the North and South Campuses will be closed to all school activity, including team practices.
2. Between November 30 and December 4, all classes in grades K-12 will meet virtually in accordance with the Orange Plan described in the Continuity of Learning Matrix.  Both campuses will remain closed with the only exceptions noted below.
3. Between November 30 and December 4, our Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 classrooms will remain open as a day care facility for those with critical childcare needs.  Please see more details and the required registration form below.
4. Between November 30 and December 4, all previously scheduled interscholastic athletic contests and artistic performances will be postponed.  Please see more details below.
5. Between November 30 and December 4, only voluntary athletic practices may be scheduled with the permission of the Director of Athletics.
6. During the Thanksgiving vacation, we encourage all families and employees to continue reporting COVID cases to the Director of Student Health, Anna Wadlington, by email at wadlingtona@gosaints.org.

1. We will continue to assess community needs and could make further adjustments to this plan if deemed necessary.
2. Families who are not currently enrolled in the virtual option for Grades 2 - 12, but wish to do so starting on December 7, are encouraged to contact the appropriate division head anytime before December 7.
3. The Fall Band Concert, originally scheduled for December 3, has been rescheduled for December 10.
4. The December 5 SAT administration at St. Andrew’s has been cancelled.

1. Families in Grades K-12 should review the SA Student Checklist for Technology and Streaming.
2. The majority of school resources and student support related to technology can accessed from the SA Go Page.
3. In addition, follow these recommendations:
• It is advised that students work from a laptop, and not a phone.
• School work is best completed from an area with good lighting and a designated workspace.
• Students need to use headphones with a microphone to reduce the background noise and improve conversations.
4. If you are the parent of a student in Grades 2, 3, or 4 and need to borrow a Chromebook, please complete this form.

Our COVID Journey - Past, Present, and Future

The Role of Families

How We Will Transition to Offering Full-Time, In-Person Instruction

How You Can Learn More

How Your Family Can Select Hybrid, Virtual, or In-Person

Questions Families May Have

1. Upper School students will be able to complete their virtual learning days on campus if they so choose beginning on September 21. Space will be limited to 40 students per day, and students who choose this option must complete every virtual day on campus. Mr. Ware will provide a registration form for families next week.
2. The A and B Learning Groups for both the Middle and Upper School will be reconfigured starting on September 21 with more information to follow shortly from division heads. We will continue to assign siblings to the same schedule.
3. “Grab and Go” lunch offerings will be available through Flik Food Service beginning on September 21 with more information to follow shortly.
4. Break and lunch periods will be lengthened by 10 minutes. In their September 14 weekly emails, the Middle and Upper School division heads will forward information about revised daily schedules necessitated by this adjustment. We will operate under the adjusted schedules beginning on September 15. Drop off and pick up times will be unaffected.

Important Considerations for Families

Details Regarding Our Plans Beginning on September 16

• There are four plans in our recently revised Continuity of Learning Matrix. Each plan is based on factors such as community spread within St. Andrew’s, cases in our surrounding area, adherence to mitigation strategies in place on campus, and assessment of the needs, both physical and emotional, of our students and faculty.
• We will continue to operate under the current Yellow Plan and may transition to full time, in-person instruction with modifications and a continuing virtual option on September 16 under the Blue Plan.

• Elementary Science: >Kathy Vial
• ECC Fitness: Britney Wolfe
• Lower School Library: Kate Dutro
• Elementary Art: Jessica Farris 
• Elementary Music: Sarah Walker 
• ECC Music: Susan Lawler 
• ECC Spanish: Lauren Chafin
• ECC Little Chapel and ECC Art/Science: Nicole Robinson 
• Elementary Little Chapel: Hailey Allin & Marcia Poole
• Elementary Spanish: Maya Buford 
• Elementary Fitness: Stacy Sullivan  

• Late Arrivals: If your child is late to school (after 8:15 a.m.), please pull up to the main Lower School building by the front office and call the main number (601-987-9300) to let Crystal know you have arrived. We will then come to the car, complete the health screening, and have your child enter the correct building.
• Early Departures:  If you need to pick up your child early from school for an appointment, please pull up to the building where your child’s classroom is and text the number listed on the sign (601-941-8873) with your child’s name and grade level. We will then notify the teacher and your child will be released to you. This will be the same process used for picking up from After School Care.
• Forgotten Items:  We will continue to enforce our policy on forgotten items. If your child forgets their homework, they will have natural consequences in their classroom as work will not be brought to them. However, the exception to this rule is the occasional forgotten lunch box or water bottle. If your child forgets their lunch or water, please feel free to pull around to the main office in the Lower School building and call the main number (601-987-9300). We will come and get the lunch or water and deliver it to your child.
• Glimpses into the School Day: It is hard to think about not attending classroom parties this Fall and seeing things that are happening in the classrooms.  Unfortunately that needs to be our reality for the time being. To help with this, all of our ECC classrooms will use the SeeSaw app. This will help the families of our youngest students get pictures and videos throughout the day to see the excitement unfolding in the classrooms. Look for more information to come from your child’s teacher.

• Carpool will begin at 7:30 am each day, and health screening will be conducted in the carpool. There will not be early bird drop-off or breakfast at this time.
• Masks need to be worn by everyone in the car during the health screening. For more information on our policies regarding masks, see this FAQ put together by Anna Wadlington, Director of Student Health.
• To help your child prepare to return to campus, please assist your student with getting comfortable wearing a face mask. This video may help. It will be required for grades K-4 both inside and outside when social distancing cannot be maintained. Students in Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 are welcome to wear masks as a family choice. Faculty in all grades will be masked or wearing a face shield throughout the day.
• School-appropriate masks are those that comfortably fit your child and are free of distraction for classmates and teachers. They do not need to be a specific color or pattern but something the child is happy wearing. Mask designs should not include gory or skeletal motifs, references to drugs or alcohol, or slogans for voting referenda or political campaigns.
• Campus is closed to all visitors, including parents, at this time. A parent will only be allowed on campus when paying cash for student tuition or another expense.
• For ECC families during pick-up, please pull through carpool and then pull over to buckle your child in safely, just as you have in years past.
• Dismissal will be 2:30 for ECC and 2:45 for Elementary.

• All supplies and materials will be provided by the school. Mrs. Watson and Ms. Smith will be bringing them to you on your first day of in-home instruction.
• Please provide a clean and quiet space for the instruction to occur. Outside is perfectly fine, weather permitting.
• All families will be required to complete health screening by 7:15 am on the instructional days. In the event of a fever or other COVID symptoms, please reach out to me directly so we can communicate directly with the teachers. I will send out the form under separate cover.
• Mrs. Watson and Ms. Smith will be in touch with you about your Meet the Teacher time and orientation.

• We are gathering all supplies and books, including Chromebooks (if requested), for parents to pick up on Thursday, August 13. A contactless, drive-through pick-up will occur from 7:30-9:00 am on August 13. Please enter from Frontage Road and pull around to the gym. We will bring your materials to your vehicle, and then you can depart campus from the North gate onto Old Canton Road. In accordance with the executive order, masks will need to be worn.
• Please note that a device without a standalone keyboard (such as an iPad or tablet) makes schoolwork challenging for your child. It is recommended that your child use a laptop or desktop for virtual learning. Should you need to borrow a Chromebook from school, please complete this form.
• Please make sure your child has headphones with a microphone on it to ensure good sound quality for their lessons. Guidance can be found here.
• Students are required to be in a uniform shirt or school outerwear for their streaming classes and will participate in all spirit and dress down days with their class.
• Instructional schedules will be included in the materials at pick-up on Thursday and be available early next week on your child’s Google Classroom. If you do not have your child’s Google Classroom log-in, please reach out to me.

• Mask designs should not include gory or skeletal motifs, references to drugs or alcohol, or slogans for voting referenda or political campaigns.

1. Backpack (rolling preferred) - as lockers are closed this year, each student will need to carry their books and supplies with them.  Each evening, teachers will list the supplies needed for the next day to help them plan ahead and keep their backpack light.  Nevertheless, we recommend a rolling backpack to help with managing the books.
2. Water bottles - students should bring 2 water bottles clearly labeled with their name each day.  We will have filling stations available.
3. Headphones with microphones - Your child will need a set of headphones (preferably one with a microphone) that they can use for virtual learning.  They should also bring them to school on their in person days.  See attached document for some guidance in purchasing them.
4. Mask - Middle school students will be required to wear a mask throughout the day.  They will be given short opportunities to take it off, but they should be comfortable with it.  Students will not be able to pass through our screening process without a mask on.
5. Sack Lunch and snack - All students will have to bring a lunch and, if desired, a snack while we are in hybrid as we can not offer meal service at this time.  We hope to resume some meal options when we return to full in person schooling.
6. Small blanket or towel - Small enough to roll up and fit in a backpack, it will be used to sit upon during outside lunch times

1. You will be issued a number tag (like that used in the Lower School). Please have it hanging from your mirror when you get to campus.
2. Enter campus off of Highland Colony Parkway.
3. At the first intersection, turn right and follow the road around the Middle School parking lot (as we have done in past years). This year, we will be forming ONE line. Please wait patiently as the cars in front of you move. As we get used to this new approach, I expect that it will eventually move more quickly and safely than our old system.
4. At the back of the lot (see map below), you will enter and follow the long curb around.
1. Drop Off:  At the front of the line, your child’s temperature will be taken using a touch free thermometer (mask on, please!), and you will be asked several screening questions.  We will have several screeners each morning to help this process go quickly.
2. Pick Up:  A staff member will be calling your number into the classrooms.  Your child will be ready and will come right out when their number is called.  We will endeavor to call numbers quickly so that your child will be waiting for you when you get to the curb. 
5. Once your child is either dropped off or safely picked up, you may pull out around any vehicles in front of you to depart. Please take care as you do so, as there may be vehicles behind you pulling around as well.

1. Upper School traffic will enter campus from Old Agency Road entrance nearest to the baseball field.
2. Follow the campus road to the screening station. At the front of the line, your child’s temperature will be taken using a touch free thermometer (mask on, please!), and you will be asked several screening questions. We will have several screeners each morning to help this process go quickly. as the cars in front of you move.
3. Drop off and pick up will still take place in front of the Upper School building.

1. Beginning on August 5, strongly consider having children remain at home or in another family environment, avoiding in person interactions with others outside the St. Andrew’s community. We acknowledge that previously scheduled on campus activities are an exception. We are encouraged that those programs are continuing effectively under the health protocols we established earlier this summer.
2. All members of each household will practice increased social distancing in all public spaces, including places of employment.
3. Model and educate your children on the consistent and proper use of face coverings.
4. Monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell) in all members of your household.
5. Disclose any positive case of COVID-19 in any member of your household to the school, and initiate self-quarantining of the household.
6. Consider your child’s involvement in activities outside of school and the degree to which they are essential this fall.
7. Remember that as long as learning continues under the Yellow Plan both campuses are closed to visitors, including parents, during the school day. All meetings with teachers and administrators should take place virtually.
8. Help to ensure the success of virtual learning, hybrid learning, and collaboration in learning for all students in the middle school, upper school, and those participating from home at all grade levels by ensuring that your children have headphones with a built in microphone. These will be required for learning every day in the Middle School and Upper School. 

• The division level webinars focused on our virtual and learn at home options which were held this week are available as recordings. If you were not able to attend, please use the links to access those presentations:
• Upper School Virtual Option Webinar
• Middle School Virtual Option Webinar
• Lower School Grades 2-4 Virtual Option Webinar
• Lower School Grades PK3-1 Saints at Home Webinar

• The deadline for choosing the learning from home option is July 17. Families who have not already done so may confirm their desire to select this option by completing the Learning From Home Program Confirmation form. Please reach out to the appropriate division head with questions for which you are seeking answers as you make this decision. I want to acknowledge that in some cases we do not have complete answers to questions that may seem essential. We wish this were not the case and the fact that it is so is emblematic of the many challenges we face in our planning process.

• If, at any point during the year, the school transitions to a virtual learning program for all students, our intent is to operate the Early Childhood Center as a day care facility for Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 families who need childcare unless unforeseen circumstances make that impossible.

• The MHSAA has announced that students learning virtually WILL be eligible to participate in interscholastic athletics. Please reach out to DeWayne Cupples, Director of Athletics, for more information.

• The MHSAA has also announced a delayed start for the fall athletic season. We are planning accordingly and ask families to contact the appropriate coach, as needed, for more information.

• By now many families may have received one or more health notices which we provided regarding confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community. In such cases, it is our goal to provide as much information as possible while also following federal medical privacy laws. Such laws forbid the school from releasing the name of any employee with a confirmed case of COVID-19. As we fulfill our responsibilities related to privacy, we will communicate that which we are able to and will take whatever steps are deemed necessary to protect the health of our community. As is the case with other decisions we make related to COVID-19, we must acknowledge that these decisions may impact members of our community in a variety of ways.

• Detailed information regarding health protocols for the school year are taking shape with some having been included in the required school forms that were released yesterday in My SA. Additional health protocols may be included in our August 3 update.

• These protocols will include a wide range of strategies to mitigate risk including the requirement that all students in grades K-12 be masked during the school day. Details regarding when and where masks are necessary will be shared in our August 3 communication.

• All of our health protocols are being developed after much consideration of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Mississippi Department of Health as well as feedback from our own St. Andrew’s medical community. We will follow such guidance whenever it is feasible to do so. There may be times when our health protocols employ a series of strategies which mitigate risk, but also seem to be in conflict with a specific piece of guidance. This, again, is part of the challenge we face and which is faced by every school in the country.

1. are developing budget scenarios that recognize the impact extended periods of virtual learning can have on families’ potential need for child care.
2. will be waiving all interest charges for the monthly tuition payment plan.
3. have and will continue to provide refunds for services not provided, including After School Care, school operated bus routes, and auxiliary classes that could not meet. 
4. have launched the Saints Care Fund, an additional resource to support families beyond our financial aid program.
5. have worked, and will continue to work, closely with any family who has reached out seeking financial support from the school.
6. appreciate the countless words of affirmation from parents regarding the quality of the education the faculty has provided during this time. We also recognize that a few parents have expressed concern about their child’s readiness for the 2020-21 school year.  While we are confident of their preparation, our promise to you will not waiver. If you do have concerns, please reach out to your division head, so that we can work in partnership. We will take whatever steps seem reasonable and necessary to address your concerns with the support of our faculty over the summer at no charge. St. Andrew’s has no interest in generating revenue based upon parental fear. Under no circumstances is this a service you should be expected to pay for at St. Andrew’s or elsewhere.

1. As we approach the end of the school year, I know we will appreciate the celebratory moments we have planned. I also think it is important to acknowledge the exhaustion which I sense in our community and hear about on a daily basis from other heads of school across the country. It is very real. While the summer may provide us opportunities to recharge, we must also recognize that our journey will continue possibly through the summer and into the start of the next school year. This will be an important topic at each of our webinars next week.
2. As we manage this phase of our journey, we continue to learn from our experiences throughout the year, keeping ourselves simultaneously focused on important school initiatives. With that spirit in mind, we want to share with all families our i2: Inspire and Innovate Findings video in which we discuss the results from the data we collected throughout the year. These findings have created the foundation for our decisions regarding the next phase of i2: Inspire and Innovate which we will cover in detail during our parent webinars next week.
3. Also in the spirit of moving forward and fulfilling our vision to be a beacon of educational innovation, a task force of upper school students and faculty has completed their work. A summary of that work and the end result can be found in our Upper School Schedule video. When we do return to in-person instruction in a way that is not impacted by COVID-19, this schedule will support our students on their educational journey and create many innovative learning opportunities that were not previously possible. We will discuss this in detail during the upper school webinar next week.
4. Last, if you have not had an opportunity to register for one or more of the division level webinars mentioned above, you may do so here:
• May 12 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into Pre-K3 - 4th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here
• May 13 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into 5th - 8th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here
• May 14 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into 9th - 12th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here

1. As we prepare for a number of important events to conclude the 2019-20 school year, our planning for 2020-21 is also well underway. While there are many variables and unknowns, it is important that we move forward together. With that spirit in mind, we invite all families to join us for one or more of the following webinars. While much of the information will be common to all of the webinars, there will be division-specific information as well. Registration is required and space is limited for each webinar. We look forward to discussing our plans with you and answering questions you may have.
• May 12 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into Pre-K3 - 4th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here
• May 13 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into 5th - 8th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here
• May 14 at 4:00 PM: All families with children rising into 9th - 12th grades in the 2020-21 school year, Register here
2. Also in the spirit of planning for the future, living our mission, and fulfilling our vision, we continue to make great progress on our plans to build an Episcopal Chapel on the North Campus. We are grateful to those who have supported our efforts as we move closer to making this dream a reality. We will have more updates during our webinars in May.
3. Finally, as we plan for the coming school year, our athletic department is well underway with their planning for fall sports. For those interested in fall sports open to middle and upper school students, please take a moment to view our Fall Athletics Video from our coaches which contains important information on your participation.

1. We have now distributed information related to all major end of year events. In the days and weeks ahead, the division heads will be sharing information on numerous details related to each division which normally accompany the end of the school year.
2. As we look toward the end of the school year, we also look toward the summer and the fall. We fully intend to begin the school year in August with in-person instruction. We also know there are many variables at play that are beyond our control as we move through this crisis, requiring us to plan for many possible futures. There are considerations related to health and safety, as well as financial considerations for families and logistical challenges of many kinds. At our upcoming May Board of Trustees meetings and in the weeks ahead, all of these matters will be topics for consideration as we work to ensure that we support our students, parents, and faculty while also ensuring an extraordinary educational experience.
3. That planning and this crisis also present us with an extraordinary opportunity to consider the ways a St. Andrew’s education can evolve and how we can add tremendous value to that experience. Recently, we unveiled the first of those initiatives with Virtual Summer Saints. We are and will continue to consider ways that the school’s programming can grow because of this crisis which has presented the world of education with an extraordinary opportunity to push forward. Recently, Ian Symmonds, an educational consultant and futurist, published Seven Things that Will Happen in Education as a Result of COVID-19, a fascinating summary of ways education could evolve in the years ahead. While there are many challenges ahead for families, the country, and the world, Ian and others see possibilities that leave me optimistic about our journey ahead and the ways St. Andrew’s can continue to lead the way.