Experts agree that a key component for the safest possible back-to-school plan is to limit broad contact and large groups and provide spaces that allow social distancing. The central feature of Watkinson’s campus plan is to re-imagine the campus in three distinct pods. By establishing three separate mini-campuses, we are creating pristine areas for middle school students ( grades 6-8), for students in grades 9-10, and for 11th and 12th grade students.

Each pod will serve the one cohort of students, and be their home for classes, for lunch and breaks. When necessary, students will stay in their pods for virtual learning in the event that they are placed in a class in a different pod. Teachers will remain in one pod if possible, but when necessary, teachers, not students, will move between pods to provide instruction. Afternoon activities, athletics, and arts will adhere to the pod structure as well, and even when students come together in outdoor activities, they will be grouped at a distance, and in observance of the pods. 

Our ability to establish and maintain the pod structure is a cornerstone element of our ability to open school and fully reunite our community. It will require the attention, diligence, and compliance of every individual on campus, but we are confident that the structure we have set will help us to limit student contact with the entire community, and facilitate containment and contact tracing should someone become ill. 

One of the hallmarks of our successful virtual schooling effort last year was our commitment to remaining attentive to the needs of our students. On day four, our students and families let us know that when it came to synchronous learning, more was better, and so we immediately revised our plan to include daily synchronous classes for all class meetings. This face to face contact, in the context of our close community, was an essential element of classroom learning, even when classrooms became dining rooms, kitchen tables, and even bedrooms. Meeting with students, in real time, every time class met meant that our students were seeing one another, their teachers, and growing in their capacity to learn well in this new setting. This commitment is among the distinguishing characteristics of Watkinson’s virtual schooling program, and one that remains and the centerpiece of that program when we return to virtual schooling. 

Nothing can replace face to face learning in school, but we have learned that consistent, planful, and intentional synchronous learning closely approximates the classroom experience, and that the daily contact with teachers, classmates, and material activates learning and serves our students irrespective of their location. It is what we’ve come to call “a keeper”: something we have learned through the challenges of last year that is best for our students.

The plan is to start the school year with everyone on campus. Even knowing this, there will be periods of virtual schooling in the year. As we anticipate a very different kind of school year ahead, we do so knowing that so many of our students’ experiences  beyond the walls of the classroom provide meaning, value, and substance. Our school is intentionally small, fostering a sense of community and allowing for relationships to grow and thrive through gatherings of all sizes, clubs, community events, and informal opportunities to learn and share. As face to face gathering will be largely put on hold for the coming year, we have been working hard to determine alternative ways to hold fast to the traditions, events, and even spontaneous and idiosyncratic things that characterize any given day or week at school. Please see School Life & Culture for more details.

The school calendar follows the same overall structure as last year with a few points of note:

• The first day of school is August 31, 2020.
• Consistent with nationwide educational practice, virtual schooling will be in place from November 30, 2020-January 15, 2021.
• Graduation is June 11, 2021.

Our daily schedule when we are all on campus will be very similar to last year with a few points of note:

• We now have staggered arrival and dismissal times to avoid congestion and aid social distancing at the start and end of the school day.
• The daily schedule allows for longer passing times in order for cleaning to occur in between classes and for students and teachers to get outside and take necessary mask breaks.

As was the case last year, when we are in virtual schooling classes will not meet on Wednesdays in order to allow advisory, clubs, and other student groups to have ample meeting time. All details about the Schedule and Calendar are here.

Arts, athletics, and activities are an integral part of student life and learning.  As such, we have created plans to keep students active and engaged in the pursuits they love. That being said, as has been the case with most schools and many universities, the Housatonic Valley Athletic League (HVAL) has decided to cancel the 2020 fall HVAL season, including regular season contests between member schools and all tournaments and championships.

All teachers and classes will address the needs of students present on campus as well as those needing virtual schooling because of COVID-related constraints. For the consistency of both students’ learning and safety/attendance protocols, parents will need to commit to an agreed upon length of time for virtual schooling (meaning students may not continually alternate between being present and home on a daily basis).

Some boarding schools have instituted programs for regular testing in order to monitor the overall health of their communities, which makes sense as students are in residence together. Many day schools are not doing weekly testing, but rather are implementing monitoring systems such as the one we are using, from Magnus Health. Head of School Teri Schrader serves on the board of the CT Association of Independent Schools and is following best practices for our industry closely.