We readily met CDC guidelines essentially right from the start of the 2020-21 academic year. We are fortunate that we have nearly 200 square feet per student; we met the 25% occupancy rule readily. We took extensive precautions. We took every student and teacher’s temperature on entry into the building. Everyone work masks except when actually eating. Everyone kept social distance. Each student had his or her own supplies. We sanitized surfaces… finally getting the welcome guidance later that bleach on nonmetallic surfaces was not desirable. We rearranged our class schedules to minimize the times that students passed each other in the hallways.
From mid-September onward we were open for in-person learning. Students loved being here. A few students had to quarantine briefly when they traveled or had dubious symptoms (no COVID!). A few families chose to have their children in distance education that we provided with added technology. By degrees, they rejoined us in person, with all students in person for the last three months.
Here are some good times for learning, and playing:
Head of School Dr. Lou Ellen Kay teaches about the eye, preliminary to the students dissecting (with care!) a preserved cow’s eye.
Chinese teacher Yulin Zhang engages 1st- and 2nd-graders
Young students have vigorous free play on the climbing dome on their break.
Students in grades 6-8 science finish vaporizing a thin copper wire with an electrical discharge.
Young students lead the outdoor parade for Chinese New Year, with teacher Yulin Zhang leading the way.
OK, this is out of school, at our p
icnic on May 26th; we kept up using masks, in view of our young students not being vaccinated.
