Return To School Plan

Our school calendar has been adjusted as it pertains to the start of the year. Ninth graders and Sachem campus students will now begin Monday, August 31. All other students will begin Tuesday, September 1. The rest of the academic calendar remains as is and can be found here.

Work continues on the academic schedule in all models with a focus on reducing passing time, adjusting class levels, adding additional sections when necessary and more. More information will be announced as this continues.

Students will continue to have access to breakfast and lunch service. The main cafeteria will remain in operation with altered seating to enhancing distancing between students. Meals will also be served in Slater Auditorium and students will be encouraged to eat outside when the weather is feasible and practice social distancing. Specific details will be announced before the start of school. 

In addition, grab-and-go lunches will be available every day for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch and choose not to attend in-person classes.

Traffic patterns will be put into place on campus in order to promote as much one-way traffic as possible. Signage will be visible in all hallways, stairways and building entrances/exits. In addition, our campus safety team will be assisting with traffic flow.  

Modified Building Entry/Exit Doorways

 Modified Campus Traffic Flow Pattern 

While some of our athletic teams are currently participating in socially distant condition programs approved by our public health partners, the status of a competitive fall season will be determined by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). When the CIAC provides additional guidance, it will be shared here and in other channels.

We are hoping to provide an environment that will allow our clubs to continue safely. That may mean certain in-person guidelines and restrictions. It may mean clubs will meet virtually. We continue to work through this process and develop protocols. More information will be released prior to the start of school.

Faculty, staff and students will be required to wear a mask that completely covers the nose and mouth. An exception to this is only possible with a medical waiver on file with our Medical Center. For more information, contact the center at 860-425-5552.

All students, faculty and staff will be provided one cloth mask at the beginning of school. It is the responsibility of each individual to have a mask when arriving on campus. Students not arriving on campus with a mask will have one provided.

Some faculty and students may be provided with additional PPE, including face shields or clear masks. Those will be handled on an individual basis.

All classrooms have been assessed for maximum capacity based on acceptable social distancing guidelines. In addition to reducing the number of students in each classroom, alternative spaces will be utilized for classroom locations. All desks will face the same direction and no desk groups will be allowed. We will share photos of classroom space before the start of school.

In addition to requiring face coverings and practicing social distancing, we will be installing a hand sanitizer dispenser in each class room and other high traffic areas. Students will be expected to use sanitizer on the way in and out of class.

Disinfectant wipes will also be available in each class, and time will be allotted at the end of each period for students to wipe down their workspace before leaving the room.

Members of our contracted cleaning service will be assigned to regularly clean high-touch areas in each building such as doors, railings and more. Following our hybrid model, a deep clean of our school will happen twice each week, once on Wednesday and once over the weekend.

Signage with universal graphics and multiple languages will be displayed in prominent locations. These will carry messaging about stopping the spread, hand-washing, social distancing, traffic flow and more.

There are a variety of updated resources, from state and local agencies, for those who want to learn more about COVID-19:

• State of Connecticut Coronavirus info
• Centers for Disease Control Guidelines
• How COVID-19 Spreads
• COVID-19 Symptoms
• Prevention and Treatment
• What to Do If You Are Sick With COVID-19
• Other Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19

The following communications have been sent to students, parents, faculty and staff, via email or mailed home.

TBD

1.   Establish clear routines and expectations: NFA encourages parents and guardians to set regular hours for their children’s school work. Whether in a hybrid or fully online learning environment, students need to be following the daily schedule and attending their classes virtually and on time.

2.  Define the physical space for your child’s study: We encourage families to establish a location where their children will learn most of the time without distractions. Ideally, this should be a place that is not the child’s bedroom but a public/family space. There should be a strong WiFi signal and be a quiet place where the child’s learning can be supervised.

3.  Monitor communications from your children’s teachers: Teachers will communicate through e-mail as necessary. Please be sure you are receiving updates from Google Classroom as well -- if you are not, please contact one of your child’s teachers. Parents and guardians should check via PowerSchool or with their child’s house office to ensure their contact information is up to date.

4.  Begin and end each day with a check-in: Parents are encouraged to start and finish each day with a simple check-in time with their children. In the morning, ask about your child’s learning plan, what they need, and how he/she will spend their time. This brief conversation matters because it allows children to process the instructions they have received from their teachers. You can also help them organize themselves and set priorities. Parents should establish these check-ins as regular parts of each day. Remember that not all students thrive in a distance learning environment; some struggle attempting to manage too much independence or lack of structure. These check-in routines need to be established early, before a student falls behind or begins to struggle.

5.  Take an active role in helping your children process and own their learning: Students often learn best when they have opportunities to process their learning with others. Make sure your children complete their own work; refrain from completing assignments for them, even if they are struggling. You should inform the teacher under these circumstances so that extra support can be provided.

6.  Establish quiet times for work and reflection: A major challenge for families with multiple children will be how to manage all of their children’s needs, especially when those children are different ages and have uniquely individual needs. You may find times when siblings need to work in different rooms to avoid distractions. Parents might also consider experimenting with noise-cancelling headphones (no music necessary!) to block out distractions.

7.  Encourage physical activity and/or exercise: Make sure your children are participating in their Physical Education classes.

8.  Remain mindful of your child’s stress or worry: Although a difficult undertaking, parts should make every attempt not to transfer your own stresses or worries to your children. If you feel your child’s stress or worry is impacting his/her academics or daily routines, please contact your child’s house principal.

9.  Monitor how much time your child is spending on line: NFA does not want its students staring at computer screens for 7-8 hours a day. We ask that parents remember most teachers are not experts in distance learning and the process will require some trial-and-error before everyone finds the right balance between online and offline learning experiences. We thank you in advance for your patience and partnership during the learning process!

10. Keep your children socially interacting but set rules around their social media use: With students not being physically in the classroom, they will be missing their friends, classmates, and teachers. Parents should help their children maintain contact with friends and monitor their children’s use of social media. Please remind your children to be polite, respectful, and appropriate in their communication and to represent your family’s values in their interactions with others.