Key Dates Pertaining to the Fall Term:

• Quarantine arrangement form from students traveling from abroad/restricted states due by August 8, 2020. On-campus quarantine is dependent on receipt of this form.
   
• Students from abroad or restricted states (as mandated by New York State) who require campus quarantine arrive August 22, 2020.
   
• Boarding Students will arrive in a staggered plan on August 29-31, 2020 based on dormitory assignment. There will be limited time for moving in and the number of family members who can assist will also be limited. Please carefully review the Boarding Students Move-In Schedule communication that was sent to all boarding families on August 21, 2020 for further details.
   

  • Saturday, August 29: Barstow, East, Hastings North, Dunbar South, and Starr I

  • Sunday, August 30: Owen, Hastings South, Dunbar North, Starr II West (Rooms 201-209), and Cluett II

  • Monday, August 31: Starr II East (Rooms 210-214), Starr Ground Floor (Rooms 10-14), and Cluett III
     

• Health and safety review and protocol transition activities on campus will take place September 1-6, 2020.
   
• To minimize outside visitors to the campus, a remote Parents Weekend will be held October 16-17, 2020.
   
• Reunion Weekend in October has been cancelled to avoid large gatherings on campus.
   
• The Fall Term will span from September 7 - November 20, with no vacations in between. There will be a remote academic period between Thanksgiving and Winter Vacations in which the students will be engaged in independent project-based learning that is guided remotely by their instructors.
   
• After the first month of school, and when School administration and health officials agree that it is safe, students may apply for weekend leaves.

All dates are subject to change.
 

Boarding Students Move-In Schedule

Trinity-Pawling Boarding Students will return in a staggered plan between August 29-31, 2020. Your move-in date will be based on the dormitory you have been assigned.

Move-In Dates by Dorm

• Saturday, August 29:
  Barstow, East, Hastings North, Dunbar South, and Starr I
   
• Sunday, August 30: 
  Owen, Hastings South, Dunbar North, Starr II West (Rooms 201-209), and Cluett II 
   
• Monday, August 31:
  Starr II East (Rooms 210-214), Starr Ground Floor (Rooms 10-14), Cluett III

Signing Up for a Move-In Time Slot

Trinity-Pawling is utilizing Pick-A-Time to schedule time slots for each student to move in. Please select an available time slot on your assigned move-in day, according to your dorm. It is very important that you have selected the correct dormitory and this option can be found directly above the calendar. If you have flexibility on the day you are scheduled to move-in, please wait to sign-up to allow those without the same flexibility more options.

Parents of new students will need to set up a Pick-A-Time account before selecting a campus arrival time. The time you select will be the time you should arrive on campus.

The first stop for the move-in process will be the Smith Field House. This will be a check-in with the Health Center staff, when each student will take his COVID-19 test. We recommend arriving 10 minutes before your allotted time. Upon parking, each student should enter the Smith Field House accompanied by one parent.

This COVID-19 test is retrieved from the anterior (lower) nasal passage. It is not the nasopharyngeal (deep) collection. For your reference, here are the instructions for gathering the sample. Please familiarize yourself with the instructions prior to your appointment.

Select a Time Slot

Move-In Guidelines

• All students and parents will need to wear a mask when moving in and practice social distancing at all times. No more than two families at a time will be in any dorm unit.
   
• Your time to move items into your dorm room will be limited to 45 minutes. We recognize this is a tight timeframe, but we need to do so in order to make sure all students can move in on the assigned day. Please pack lightly and efficiently. We have allotted 30 minutes to complete testing, which is not included in the aforementioned time limit. For example, if you sign up for a 8:00 AM time slot, you should arrive at 7:50 AM, be done with testing by 8:30 AM and will have to have completed moving in by 9:15 AM.
   
• For each family, only one student and one adult may be in the building at one time.
   
• A student who does not have a negative COVID-19 test or who has not completed all the pre-arrival health forms in Magnus Health will not be able to remain on campus. We recommend that you bring a hard copy of the negative COVID-19 test result when you come to campus.
   
• Any student who is symptomatic or whose family member is symptomatic for COVID-19 should contact the Health Center at 845-855-4848 and reschedule their move-in day. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of the sense of taste or smell, sore throat, or gastrointestinal issues.  
   
• Until the results from the students' on-campus COVID-19 tests are returned and all students in the dorm unit are negative, students will have to quarantine. They will need to stay in their rooms, with the exception of trips to the bathroom. Meals and snacks will be brought to them in their rooms. Faculty will check on them frequently. As soon as the test results for the dorm unit are returned, if all results are negative, the expectations and distancing guidelines will be communicated to the dorm residents. Test results should be returned within 12-24 hours after they have been received by the laboratory. 

We thank you in advance for your help in making this run as smoothly as possible and for your commitment to the overall health and well-being of our community. We will not be able to accommodate requests for early move-in times. If you have any questions, please reach out to Dutch Keel, Dean of Residential Life, at dkeel@trinitypawling.org.

We look forward to seeing you on campus!
 

Day Students Arrival Schedule

All Trinity-Pawling Day Students will arrive on campus on September 1, 2020 for COVID-19 testing. Please carefully review the arrival and testing information below.

Signing Up for a Time Slot

On-campus COVID-19 testing for Day Students will be held at the Smith Field House on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Noon). Please use Pick-A-Time to select your testing appointment slot.

Parents of new students will need to set up a Pick-A-Time account before selecting a campus arrival time. Returning parents can use the account used in the past for parent conferences. If you have forgotten your password, click on Forgot Password.

Select a Time Slot

Arrival Guidelines and Information

• Please drive onto campus via the Tirrell Rink driveway and park in the lot in front of the Smith Field House. You will exit by turning left down the South Cluett driveway.
   
• Please arrive for your appointment a minimum of 10 minutes early, as you will be asked to complete a health questionnaire and sign a consent form at that time. (You are welcome to bring your own pen if you feel more comfortable, but we will have some available.) 
   
• All students under the age of 18 (birthdate after 9/1/2002) will need to be accompanied by 1 parent or guardian to sign the consent form.
   
• All students and parents will have their temperatures taken upon arrival.
   
• Masks are required to be worn by everyone.
   
• There will be 4 testing stations, so please be mindful of social distancing (6 feet).
   
• This COVID-19 test is retrieved from the anterior (lower) nasal passage. It is not the nasopharyngeal (deep) collection. For your reference, here are the instructions for gathering the sample. Please familiarize yourself with the instructions prior to your appointment.
   
• We anticipate that the process should take no longer than 10 minutes per person. However, we ask for your patience, should it take a bit longer.
   
• All students should have uploaded their negative COVID-19 test results (obtained off campus) into the Magnus Health Portal prior to arriving on campus on September 1. A student who does not have a negative COVID-19 test or who has not completed all the pre-arrival health forms will not be able to remain on campus. We request that you bring a hardcopy of the negative COVID-19 test result when you come to campus.

• Any student who is symptomatic or whose family member is symptomatic for COVID-19 should not come to campus and immediately contact the Health Center at 845-855-4848. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of the sense of taste or smell, sore throat, or gastrointestinal issues.  
   
• If you do not hear from the School regarding your on-campus COVID-19 test results, you should plan to come on campus on Thursday, September 3, 2020. A complete on-campus Day Student Orientation schedule can be found in this Day Student Orientation Information communication sent on August 25, 2020.

We thank you in advance for your help in making this run as smoothly as possible and for your commitment to the overall health and well-being of our community. If you have any questions about the arrival process for Day Students, please reach out to Josh Collins '95, Dean of Students, at jcollins@trinitypawling.org.

We look forward to seeing you on campus!
 

It is understandable that parents will have many questions, therefore we have created a location in our Parent Portal for all parents to submit general inquiries related to the reopening plan and the 2020-2021 school year. A member of the Reopening Task Forces will reply to your questions by email or phone, as you prefer.

Parent Inquiry Form

2020-2021 School Year

Fall Term 2020

August 22 - Arrival of Students Requiring Campus Quarantine*
August 29-31 - Boarding Students Return
September 1-6 - Student Orientation and Activities
September 7 - Classes Begin
October 16-17 - Virtual Parents Weekend
November 20 - Thanksgiving Vacation Begins (Noon)

Winter Term 2020-2021

November 29-December 16 - Remote Winter Projects / Global Collaborate Challenges
December 16 - Winter Vacation Begins (Noon)
January 3 - Arrival of Students Requiring Campus Quarantine*
January 8-10 - Boarding Students Return
January 11 - Classes Begin
March 5 - Spring Vacation Begins (Noon)

Spring Term 2021

March 22 - Arrival of Students Requiring Campus Quarantine*
March 26-28 - Boarding Students Return
March 29 - Classes Begin
May 29 - Commencement
May 31-June 4 - Underclass Examinations/Projects
June 4 - Summer Vacation Begins (Noon)

 *If necessary

Keeping Our Community Safe and Healthy

Core health and safety principles from the State of New York and the CDC drives the School's community policies. The safety and well-being of all community members continues to be a top priority at Trinity-Pawling School.

SCREENING

• All Boarding and Day Students must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test, taken 4-7 days before returning to campus at the start of the school year. IMPORTANT: Test results must be uploaded to Magnus Health PRIOR to school arrival. Students who arrive without a negative test result will not be allowed to enter the campus.
• Additional student COVID-19 testing will be done during the check-in process, upon arrival at Trinity-Pawling.
• All Boarding and Day Students returning to campus after a school vacation must show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken 4-7 days before returning to campus.
• The School has purchased a machine that will accommodate on-site antigen testing. Additionally, the School will also contract with a laboratory that will facilitate PCR testing. The School will perform random PCR testing on a segment of the campus residents on a weekly basis.
• The School will utilize its internal communication application, Parent Square, to accommodate a daily screening process that all members of the community must complete. Advisors will ensure that their student advisees complete the screening survey each day, which will provide a statement of self-health based on symptoms of COVID-19. Temperatures will be taken daily as part of this screening process. Anyone who does not feel well/has a fever will be referred to the Health Center for further evaluation.
• Day Students will be asked to minimize travel other than to and from school and minimize activities other than those related to school sponsored activities while school is in session.

CONTACT TRACING

• The School will be adhering to a strict policy with respect to reporting COVID-19 cases to the School. 
• Day Student families must notify the Health Center if:
  • they or a member of their household tests positive for COVID-19
  • they or a member of their household are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
  • they or a member of their household have been in close contact with a person with COVID-19
• Any adult employee of the School who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate in their home and be symptom free before reintegrating into the school community.
• In the event that a member of the School community tests positive for the virus, the Health Center will notify the state and local health department immediately upon being informed of a positive COVID-19 test result by an individual within school facilities or on school grounds.
• Boarding students who test positive must return to their home or to a guardian who resides within a five-hour driving distance from the School.
• Boarding Students who may have been in sustained contact with a person with COVID-19 will be tested, traced, and placed in quarantine in a dedicated dorm room on campus and monitored daily — Day Students must quarantine at home.
• Any student who exhibits symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be tested immediately, traced, and placed in isolation.
• Dependent upon their health, students will attend classes remotely during isolation or quarantine.

The health and hygiene standards and protocols that will be in place acknowledge the successful interplay between personal responsibility and the common good of the community as a whole.

Social Distancing

• Appropriate social distancing of six feet of space between individuals will be maintained by all persons on school grounds and in school facilities.
• Class sizes have been calibrated to each individual learning space that accommodates six feet of separation between students.
• Meal service has been revised to create more time for students to have meals while accommodating six feet of separation between students in our dining spaces.
• Dormitories have been configured as smaller units with no more than 17 students in each dormitory unit. Each dormitory unit has its own bathroom and students will be instructed that no more than two students shall be in the bathroom at one time. Rooms that cannot be accommodated for two beds and desks to be six feet apart or greater will be reserved for single occupancy. Dorm units will be fixed and intermingling between dorm units will be restricted. Visitors and Day Students may not enter the dorms.
• All facilities will be subject to occupancy limits that will accommodate social distancing of six feet or more.
• Fans and/or A/C filter upgrades will be installed in learning and gathering spaces to improve air circulation.
• A one-way traffic flow through hallways and stairwells will be utilized.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

• It will be the policy of the School that masks will be worn at all times when social distancing cannot be ensured. Masks shall be worn in the dormitory common areas, in hallways and lobbies, and outside when social distancing cannot be ensured.
• Generally, faculty and students will be expected to wear a face covering during classroom instruction.
• Acceptable face coverings include cloth-based face covering, bandana, hand-sewn, and surgical masks that cover both mouth and nose.
• Boarding Students will be required to have a 14-day supply of cloth masks. Cloth masks will also be available to students at the School Store, and the entire School is fully stocked with PPE.

SANITIZING AND HYGIENE

• The School housekeeping staff will use electrostatic cleaning devices. The housekeeping staff is being trained on the best practices for cleaning with specific regard to COVID-19.
• There will be hand sanitizing stations located throughout the campus. Signage will be installed that instructs all members of the community toward best practices with regard to hygiene and COVID-19.
• Bathrooms and common areas will be cleaned and checked multiple times per day. All campus cleaning will be documented in logs.

MAINTAINING WELLNESS

• At the advice of health professionals, to best protect the health of the community, all students are required to receive an influenza vaccine at the beginning of the school year. These will be administered at the School.
• All health forms must be completed and submitted through Magnus Health on the Parent Portal as soon as possible. If health forms are not 100% complete prior to check-in, students will not be allowed on campus.
• Remote consultations with the Health Center staff to discuss health care plans, medication administration, and new student information will be scheduled using Pick-A-Time. Health Center consultations will NOT be done during check-in.
• Parents may pre-mail their son's medications to the Health Center or contact our local pharmacy, Resolution RX at 845-855-4125, to have prescriptions filled prior to student arrival. They may also drop off medication during check-in.
• Visitors to campus will be required to complete a health screening process inclusive of temperature taking and the disclosure of any symptoms that may be related to COVID-19. Any visitor who does not feel well and/or has a fever will be asked to leave campus.
• Any member of the community who does not feel well are asked to stay/return home and consult with a physician. Additionally, community members should not plan to reintegrate into the school community until they have received clearance by the Health Center.

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING

• The Wellness Task Force will be at the forefront of life at Trinity-Pawling, with professionals that will be available around-the-clock for wellness check-ins. They include the School Chaplain, Dean of Counseling, Director of the Center for Learning Achievement, Dean of Residential Life, and Director of Nursing. This team will be central to addressing concerns around COVID-19, changes in academic learning, and the strains that may come with living and learning in a new way.
• Our team of nurses and our Dean of Counseling will provide daily check-ins, while a team of outside psychologists and counselors are also available to meet with students in-person or remotely.
• Our Center for Learning Achievement aims, each day, to help alleviate the challenges and stresses that come with a competitive academic environment.

TRANSPORTATION

• Ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft, Taxi, etc.) are prohibited for the 2020-2021 School Year. The School reserves the right to contract with a car service that meets the hygiene and safety standards for COVID-19.
• The School maintains vehicles used to transport students to activities off campus. When School vehicles are used, the occupancy will be limited to ensure necessary physical distancing and face coverings will be required.
• Local school district and contracted bus service will follow NY State requirements for school transportation.

The School’s plan is constructed with the belief that most students will be on campus for in-person learning, but some may not be able to return until later in the year.

• To ensure equity in our education, faculty have developed a hybrid approach to teaching and learning:
  • In-person instruction and synchronous instruction, for those who cannot be on campus but can engage the academic schedule remotely in real-time.
  • Asynchronous instruction, for those who will need to engage learning remotely but will not be able to access the live classes synchronously.
• Owl cameras installed in 44 teaching spaces will allow for 360° smart video conferencing. With automatic shift focus, and smart mics and speakers, both in-person and remote students will have an immersive experience.
• Smart Boards and OneNote software provides in-person and remote access to user-generated content and to interactive services.
• A new academic schedule is in place for the 2020-2021 school year:
  • Six days of learning
  • Eight periods per day
  • Athletic and co-curricular programming built into the schedule

Technology Updates

Trinity-Pawling is committed to providing the most up-to-date technology to its students and faculty. The School has prioritized this investment over the summer to provide faculty with new and improved tools to deliver high quality in-person, hybrid, and remote learning experiences that will meet the individual needs of all students.

• MICROSOFT TEAMS will be our new remote collaboration software. It is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines classroom chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.
   
• ONE NOTE will be utilized by faculty for free-form information gathering and multi-user collaboration. It gathers users' notes, drawings, screen clippings, and audio commentaries. Notes can be shared with other OneNote users over the Internet or a network.
   
• MAGNUS HEALTH continues to be the School's online software solution for collecting, managing, and securely storing student health information. If health forms are not 100% complete prior to check-in, students will not be allowed on campus.
   
• OWL CLASSROOM CAMERAS will be installed in 44 teaching spaces. Owl cameras allow for 360° smart video conferencing. They automatically highlight and shift focus to people present in the classroom when they speak, so students will know what’s happening as if they're there. Smart mics and speakers let everyone be heard, creating an immersive experience for both in-person and remote students.
   
• SMART BOARDS will be connected in 27 learning spaces, providing access to user-generated content and to interactive services and Internet applications. 17 learning spaces are connected with with projectors and monitors.
   
• DIAGNOSTIC TESTING MACHINE will allow our Health Center to administer on-site antigen testing on campus.
   
• PARENT SQUARE will unify communication between families and the School for mass notifications, online conferences, daily health reporting, and more.
   
• BOARDINGWARE will streamline the daily administration required to manage leave and attendance, sign-in/out, and for tracing.
   
• DEVICE improvements made with 50% of school computers replaced with brand new devices and the other 50% of computers have been upgraded with new hardware to enhance performance and prolong their lifespan.
   
• INTERNET SPEED - TRIPLED, and the School now has two internet lines on campus, each from a different provider, to ensure redundancy.

All facets of growth — spiritual, physical, and academic — have grounded and guided the Trinity-Pawling community in years past, and during this unique year, all resources will be utilized to ensure the holistic wellness of our students and faculty.

Athletics

• Trinity-Pawling School competes in the Founders League, comprised of 11 boarding schools, ten of which are in the state of Connecticut. On July 15, 2020, the heads of school of the Founders League schools unanimously decided to cancel interscholastic competition for the Fall Term. Subsequently, Trinity-Pawling decided to cancel interscholastic competition with non-Founders League schools for the Fall Term. The Founders League and Trinity-Pawling separately reserve the position to revisit this decision should the conditions with COVID-19 and the School’s overall health protection plan merit such reconsideration.
   
• The athletic program at Trinity-Pawling for the Fall Term will proceed without interscholastic competition but will focus on individual and sport-specific skill development, wellness activities, and intramural activities. Face coverings and/or physical distancing will be required components of any athletic activity.

Co-Curricular Activities

• The School’s choral and instrumental music programs are a curricular component of the academic schedule for those participants. Accordingly, choral and instrumental music classes will meet in spaces that can accommodate the required physical distancing for this activity (at least 12 feet of separation between vocal music and woodwind participants). The School also has the ability to conduct choral and instrumental music remotely with the use of dedicated software.
   
• Chapel and other in-person gatherings will occur inside buildings with the size of meetings determined by the requirements of six feet distancing. Face coverings will be worn when people are inside. Some gatherings will be held outside in large open areas with people physically distanced by six feet or more.
   
• Theater classes, clubs, and activities that can accommodate the necessary physical distancing will meet. Face coverings will also be worn when meetings occur inside or outside when physical distancing cannot be ensured.

Scully Dining Hall

The configuration of our dining facility, Scully Hall, has been altered to provide single-direction flow and physical distancing.

• Under current New York State guidance, each dining table will contain only the number of chairs that can accommodate the necessary distancing. In most cases, this will be two chairs per table.
• The School will modify McGraw Wrestling Room so that it can be repurposed as a second location for dining.
• When the weather is accommodating, students will be encouraged to eat outside.
• In addition to food that will be consumed in our dining hall, our food service provider, Culinart, will also have “grab-and-go” options.
• All buffet-style equipment has been removed from the dining hall. All food will be served by food service personnel.
• Face coverings will be worn by everyone in the dining facilities, except when they are seated eating their meals.
• The Cave (school snack bar) will be available to students and ordering will be facilitated through the Odin app that students can upload to their devices.

Looking Ahead

Any school closure would likely only occur if it were mandated by an executive order of the Governor of the State of New York because the infection rate for this region of the state had crossed an identified threshold. There is no way to predict if this will occur or not. However, if it were to happen, the School would continue to pursue a remote learning program for the period of time that the School would be forced to be closed. Boarding students could remain on campus for remote learning until which time they were able or required to return home.

If the School were forced to close and move to a remote learning schedule that is different than the 2020-2021 School Calendar, then the School would look at a refund of the variable costs that were not incurred during the course of the remote learning period.