COVID-19 School Protocols

CURRENT SCHOOL COVID-19 STATUS:

Current COVID-19 Mitigation Level

LEVEL FIVE | NORMAL

School has sustained a period of strong campus health and feels confident with CT and surrounding states as to the validity of low transmission rates.

  • Masks not required unless governmental mandate

  • Daily health screening not required

  • Athletics

    • All sports and activities proceed as normal

  • Community Gatherings (Same as Level IV)

    • All in person meetings resume

  • Community Service (Same as Level IV)

    • All on and off campus placements function normally

  • Dining (Same as Level IV)

    • no restrictions

  • Residential Life

    • Inter-dorm, hallway, and room visits permitted

    • Day students may sleep over

  • Visitors

    • Visitors permitted

VISITOR REQUEST FORM

The tabs below outline important additions and clarifications to our school’s COVID-19 information and expectations. Please be reminded that these protocols may be adjusted at our discretion based on national and local guidance and conditions.

HELPFUL COVID-19 CAMPUS INFO:

VACCINATION STATUS
MASKS
ISOLATION vs. QUARANTINE
CLOSE CONTACTS
*CALCULATING THE “EFFECTIVE” DATE
*UNDERSTANDING HOW AND WHEN TO QUARANTINE OR ISOLATE

VACCINATION STATUS

At Marvelwood, our distinction between the terms “fully vaccinated” and “partially vaccinated” will be defined as follows:

  • Fully vaccinated: Individual has had the full primary vaccination series AND the booster, if eligible.

  • Partially vaccinated: Individual is following the primary vaccination series but is not yet past the two weeks OR has not had the booster if eligible.

  • Unvaccinated: Those very few community members, including on-campus resident families, for whom the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate has been waived due to age, medical status or approved exemption.

MASKS

  • A cloth mask alone is NO LONGER PERMITTED

  • Masks must be fitted properly, meeting our revised and updated standards:

    • KN95 or N95, OR

    • Double masked with surgical + cloth, OR

    • Well-fitted surgical mask alone

  • “Well-fitted” means:

    • Nose and mouth covered at all times, from the bridge of the nose to below the chin.

    • Metal clip used to make sure the mask fits snugly over the bridge of the nose.

    • No gaps at the sides. It is often effective to twist the earloop before fitting it over the ear.

    • Advisors will speak with students upon return to ensure they know how to wear a mask effectively and to the school’s standards.

ISOLATION vs. QUARANTINE

  • Isolation: Individuals confirmed positive with COVID-19 must isolate at home or off-campus with an emergency contact. We are unable to care for students in isolation on campus.

  • Quarantine: Some individuals identified as close contacts will be required to quarantine (see chart below). With on-campus quarantine space extremely limited, we will expect that any student requiring quarantine will go home or to their emergency contact. Students will not be permitted to quarantine in their own dorms or dorm rooms.

CLOSE CONTACTS

  • A close contact is someone who has been within 6 feet of a confirmed individual with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes when health and safety measures were not in place or were insufficient.

  • If individuals were spaced at 3-6 feet distancing and correctly and consistently masked, such as in a supervised and masked classroom, they are NOT considered a close contact.

*CALCULATING THE “EFFECTIVE” DATE

In order to determine the proper length of any isolation, quarantine, or re-testing, it is vital to determine the “effective” date, which we will refer to as “day zero.” For our purposes, our guidance will be:

    • “Day zero” for asymptomatic individuals testing positive is the date the test was administered.
    • “Day zero” for symptomatic individuals testing positive is the date of the onset of symptoms.
    • “Day zero” for close contacts is within 24 hours of contact with a confirmed positive individual.

*UNDERSTANDING HOW AND WHEN TO QUARANTINE OR ISOLATE

The chart below indicates quarantine or isolation guidelines for fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated community members.

IF YOU ARE:

YOUR PROTOCOL IS:

Vaccinated & Boosted

COVID Positive

  • Minimum 5 days isolation

  • We expect you to Rapid test no earlier than Day 5 as long as you remain asymptomatic or if symptoms have resolved. If positive, we will continue to expect you to test, on a schedule determined by the Health Office, until you produce a negative result.

Partially Vaccinated

COVID Positive

  • Minimum 7 days isolation
  • We expect you to Rapid test no earlier than Day 7 as long as you remain asymptomatic or if symptoms have resolved. If positive, we will continue to expect you to test, on a schedule determined by the Health Office, until you produce a negative result.

Unvaccinated

COVID positive

  • Minimum 10 days isolation

  • We expect you to Rapid test no earlier than Day 10 as long as you remain asymptomatic or if symptoms have resolved. If positive, we will continue to expect you to test, on a schedule determined by the Health Office, until you produce a negative result.

Vaccinated & Boosted OR Partially Vaccinated

Direct contact

Students:

  • 5 days quarantine

  • Negative rapid antigen test required on campus for re-entry on day 5 as long as you remain asymptomatic.

Faculty/Staff:

  • No quarantine

  • Must wear a mask, avoid dining hall, and PCR test on day 5

For all:

  • Any development of symptoms should be reported immediately

Unvaccinated

Direct contact

  • 10 days quarantine

  • Negative rapid antigen test required on day 10

  • Any development of symptoms should be reported immediately



Additional COVID-19 Mitigation Level Information

LEVEL FOUR | LASTS AT LEAST 7 DAYS

The campus has few or no cases of COVID-19, but the School notes a rise in local cases and/or on campus

  • Masks not required unless governmental mandate

  • Daily health screening required

  • Athletics

    • Low and moderate risk sports may practice and compete in full with no restrictions on travel

    • Equestrian travels to Brook Run Farm

  • Community Gatherings

    • In-person meetings resume

  • Community Service

    • On and off campus placements function normally

  • Dining

    • Social distancing required for table seating

  • Residential Life

    • Interdorm visitation resumes in Common Areas only

    • Day students may sleep over

  • Visitors

    • Visitors permitted

    • Visitor form required

LEVEL THREE | LASTS AT LEAST 7 DAYS

School deems the surrounding local area to have low to no transmission rates and the campus has no cases of COVID-19.

  • Masks required indoors only

  • Daily health screening required

  • Academics

    • Students may see extra help from faculty on duty in other dorms

    • Classroom densities increased

    • Use of outdoor learning spaces is still encouraged

  • Athletics

    • Low risk sports (XC, Tennis) may practice and compete in full

    • Moderate risk sports (Basketball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball) hold modified practices with full teams, broken up into smaller groups and can compete if schools have no COVID cases on either campus

    • High risk sports (Wrestling) hold modified practices with full team, broken up into smaller groups. Can compete if conditions allow.

    • Recreational Skiing/Snowboarding travels to Mohawk Mountain

    • Equestrian travels to Brook Run Farm

    • Spectators allowed (with masks in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status and seated in designated section)

    • Theater resumes with restrictions on singing

  • Community Gatherings

    • All in person meetings resume

  • Community Service

    • On and off campus placements resume

    • Off Campus placements required to wear masks

  • Dining

    • Masks remain on until seated

  • Residential Life

    • Interdorm visitation resumes in Common Areas only

  • Visitors

    • Pre-approved visitors permitted

    • Visitor form required

LEVEL TWO | LASTS AT LEAST 14 DAYS

School is under restrictions due to rising or high COVID-19 transmission rates in the local area or limited cases on campus.

  • The mask mandate will be strictly enforced and will include all indoor spaces, including classrooms, gym, dormitories, and the dining hall.
  • No inter-dorm visitation. Students cannot enter any dorms besides their own. Teachers will offer office hours to facilitate access to extra help during study hall hours.
  • Day students may not spend the night on campus during this period and should plan to leave campus no later than 10:15pm if they choose to remain on campus for study hall.
  • Limited seating at dining hall tables.
  • No interscholastic sports competitions.
  • No travel to Mohawk Mountain
  • Equestrian travels to Brook Run Farm
  • No off-campus Community Service or weekend trips.
  • Boarding students will not be permitted to take weekends home.
  • Visitation to campus is restricted. Only necessary pre-approved visitors are permitted; visitor form required.

Additionally, we plan to make up the majority of lost instructional time caused by the postponement of our January return. We will conduct a full day of classes on both Wednesday, January 12 and Wednesday, January 19. The long weekend break (scheduled for early February) will be canceled, and classes will be held on Friday, February 4. (Classes will not meet on Saturday, February 5, but this weekend should not be considered a “break.”)

LEVEL ONE | LASTS AT LEAST 14 DAYS

School on lockdown due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the local area or on campus.

  • Masks required on campus

  • Social distancing enforced

  • Daily health screening required

  • Academics

    • As inter-dorm visitation will be suspended, faculty will meet with students via virtual office hours for extra help/tutoring

    • Classroom densities are decreased

    • Faculty will be encouraged to use outdoor learning spaces

  • Athletics

    • No games

    • Activities broken up into 10 or more small groups with a 9 to 1 faculty ratio.

  • Community Service

    • Community service activities will take place on campus with appropriate social distancing

  • Community Gatherings

    • Community Meetings, of any size, will meet via Zoom

    • Staff/Faculty Meetings, of any size, will meet via Zoom

  • Dining Hall

    • To decrease capacity, there be two lunch and two dinner rotations

    • Seating at tables will be reduced and traffic patterns through the dining hall will be adjusted and regulated to achieve safe social distancing

    • Faculty and students are expected to wear masks until seated

    • The dining hall terrace will be used to increase seating capacity while maintaining appropriate social distancing

    • Used dishes will be placed on racks located in the dining room to eliminate traffic in and out of the dishroom area

    • Faculty will not be permitted to take students off campus for meals

  • Residential Life

    • Day student overnights suspended

    • Boarding students are required to stay on campus

    • No interdorm visitation

    • Cohort by hallway

    • No outside food deliveries

    • No weekend trips off campus

  • Visitors

    • Alumni visitation to campus is restricted.

    • College Admissions counselor visits suspended indefinitely

    • Necessary pre-approved visitors only

    • Visitor form required

GET IN TOUCH

860-927-0047

476 Skiff Mountain Rd.
Kent, Connecticut 06757

© 2022 Marvelwood School