Yes. All students, faculty, and staff will need to test negative for COVID-19 at least 4-7 days prior to returning to campus. The Health Center Staff asks that all parents upload the student’s test results into the Magnus Health Portal before arriving on campus. 

All students will also receive a COVID-19 test upon arriving on campus, prior to moving into their dormitory units. Once all test results are obtained, students will be cleared from quarantine and able to begin classes as planned. Please note that Trinity-Pawling has factored in an extra week at the start of school to accommodate the timing for COVID-19 test results and quarantine periods.

If you have any questions, please contact Tami Harrah, RN, Director of Nursing at tharrah@trinitypawling.org.
 

No. The School is not requiring parents of boarding students to have a negative COVID-19 test prior to moving their son in. All parents, however, will be required to wear a face mask and practice social distancing while on campus. We also ask that parents keep the move-in process as short and efficient as possible to limit their time on campus. One parent will be allowed to assist their son inside the dormitory building.
 

Yes, 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 more information and to select your move-in time slot.

• 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

If you have any questions, please reach out to Dutch Keel, Dean of Residential Life at dkeel@trinitypawling.org. 
 

Students will be required to bring their own school supplies as noted on the Suggested Packing Checklist located on the Parent Portal. Shared supplies will be prohibited. Students should plan to bring a computer or a tablet should they need to access coursework remotely while on campus. If students do not own their own device, one will be provided.

Students will also need to have their own 14-day supply of masks/face covering. Masks/face coverings will also be available for sale at the School Store.
 

• 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 PCR test result will not be allowed to enter the campus.
• Additional student PCR 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.
• Additional PCR COVID-19 testing will be conducted upon return to campus after a school vacation.
• The School has also purchased a testing machine that will accommodate on site antigen testing. Additionally, the School will contract with a laboratory that will facilitate regular PCR testing. Students will be tested monthly through November.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 for 14 days, be symptom free, and have a negative COVID-19 test before returning to work.
• 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. In the event that this is not possible, the School will have in place a dedicated isolation space in the Health Center for those diagnosed with COVID-19.
• 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 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.
• Students will attend classes remotely during isolation or quarantine.

Throughout the summer and at the start of the Fall Term, students will receive important communications, educational information, and training about health and safety, illness prevention, new routines and protocols on campus, and more. More information on this important training will be communicated throughout the summer.
 

At the advice of health professionals to best protect the health of the entire community, all members of the Trinity-Pawling community will be asked to receive a seasonal flu shot at the beginning of the school year.
 

• Students, staff, and faculty who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have traveled from a COVID-19 hotspot will be required to quarantine either at home, a guardian’s home, or in a designated quarantine space on campus for 14 days.
• Any adult employee of the School who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate in their home for 14 days, until symptom free, and with a negative COVID-19 test result.
• Boarding students who test positive will be asked to return home or to a guardian who resides within a five-hour driving distance from the School. In the event that this may not be possible, the School will have in place a dedicated isolation space in the Health Center for those diagnosed with COVID-19.
• 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 space 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.
• Students will attend classes remotely during isolation (dependent upon their health) or quarantine.

For complete information on the difference between quarantine and isolation, please review this document from the CDC.
 

• Students, staff, and faculty who believe they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have traveled from a COVID-19 hotspot will be required to quarantine either at home, a guardian’s home, or in a designated quarantine space on campus for 14 days.
• 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 space on campus and monitored daily — Day Students must quarantine at home.
• Students will attend classes remotely during isolation or quarantine.

Boarding Students who are exhibiting COVID-19-related symptoms or with a confirmed diagnosis will be placed in isolation and cared for in the Health Center until they are picked up by their guardian. Day Students would be required to isolate at home for 14 days and are symptom-free. They may return to campus when they have been well for at least 72 hours and have documentation of a negative COVID-19 test. 
 

The Wellness Task Force will be at the forefront of life at Trinity-Pawling as these professionals will be available round-the-clock for wellness check-ins. They include the School’s 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 will necessarily come with living and learning in a new way.

In such challenging times, there is no stronger argument for the relevance of a dynamic, personalized, and transformative educational experience in the lives of adolescents who are preparing to successfully navigate the demands of an ever-changing world. 

Please know that we are here for you. Please reach out at any point along this journey. As always, we are committed to you and your son's evolution as a student and a citizen of the world. 
 

A Magnus Health tutorial is available once you log on through the Parent Portal. If you need further assistance, you may call the Health Center at 845-855-4848.
 

The Health Center staff has a Pick-a-Time schedule available for parents to schedule an appointment for a remote consultation from August 18-20, 2020. This will allow time to discuss health needs, care plans, and medication regimes for your son.

Please contact the Health Center directly at 845-855-4848 or tharrah@trinitypawling.org for more details.
 

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. Should international or domestic students need to remain at home or in their dorm room for an extended period of time, they will participate in our hybrid learning program with remote access to live and recorded academic classes and extracurricular activities. 

To ensure equity in our education, faculty are developing a hybrid approach to teaching and learning:

• In-person instruction + 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.

Those families who would like to request consideration for remote learning (synchronous or asynchronous) should contact JP Burlington ’95, Director of Admissions, for more details at jburlington@trinitypawling.org.
 

As was the case in the Spring Term, academic grading will be numerically based. Adjustments will be made to the Effort System grading for all students in order to reflect appropriate weight factors and privileges.
 

• 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 classrooms, dormitory common areas, in hallways and lobbies, and outside when social distancing is not possible.
• 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.
• Masks will be available for students should they require one. 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.

• Masks will be available for students should they require one. 
• Boarding students will be required to have a 14-day supply of cloth masks.
• Appropriate masks include cloth-based (e.g., homemade sewn, quick cut, bandana), and/or surgical masks, that cover both the nose and mouth.

In order to prepare for the possibility of remote learning during the Fall Term, Trinity-Pawling would like to ensure that all students are equipped with a computer, Chromebook, tablet, or other learning device.

For computers, we recommend either a Windows 10 laptop or an Apple Laptop. Each operating system works with all of the applications that we utilize on campus. Students may choose their device based on cost, familiarity, or personal preference. We do recommend certain minimum specifications for the hardware, including: 

• Intel Core i5 (or better)
• 8GB Memory (or better)
• 256GB SSD Hard Drive (it is preferred to go with a 512GB SSD drive, but a 256 would work, anything lower than 256 will result in the computer constantly running out of storage space).
• Video Card is at your discretion 

Anti-Virus Software - PC Computers Only: All students must have Windows Defender working on their PC computers. This program is already on all computers that have Windows 8 or 10. If you have purchased a different anti-virus, it must be valid until the end of the school year. The School will help to make sure Windows Defender is working. (Mac laptops are not required to have anti- virus software installed at this time.)

If you have any questions about your son’s technology, or you need assistance accessing a device, please reach out to Mr. Turner, Director of Technology, at bturner@trinitypawling.org.

Trinity-Pawling School competes in the Founders League, comprised of 11 boarding schools, ten of which are in the state of Connecticut. On July 15th, 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. The Founders League and Trinity-Pawling separately reserves the position to revisit this decision should the conditions with the virus 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 sport-specific skill development, wellness activities, and intramural activities. Face coverings and/or physical distancing will be required components of any athletic activity.

The athletic program at Trinity-Pawling for the Fall Term will proceed without interscholastic competition, but will focus on individual sport-specific skill development, wellness activities, and intramural activities. A commitment to player development will be pursued throughout the year. There will also be a robust wellness and outdoor program that will be available to all students. Some activities that are being added to our program include mountain biking, frisbee golf, and hiking.
 

The athletic program at Trinity-Pawling for the Fall Term will proceed without interscholastic competition, but will focus on individual sport-specific skill development, wellness activities, and intramural activities. A commitment to player development will be pursued throughout the year. There will also be a robust wellness and outdoor program that will be available to all students. Some activities that are being added to our program include mountain biking, frisbee golf, and hiking
 

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 the meetings determined by the requirements of physical distancing of six-feet. 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. In such settings, face coverings would be optional. 

Theater classes, clubs, and other 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.

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.
 

Trinity-Pawling has no intention of initiating a school closure during the 2020-2021 school year. Any school closure would likely only occur if it were mandated by an executive order of the Governor of the State of New York. 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. 

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

If you have any questions relating to tuition or financial matters, please contact Ariana Gillman in the Student Accounts Office at 845-855-4815 or agillman@trinitypawling.org. Thank you!

• The configuration of our dining facility, Scully Hall, has been altered to provide single-direction flow and physical distancing.
• 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 convert a wrestling facility 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 professional food service personnel.
• Face coverings will be worn by everyone in the dining facilities, except when they are eating their meals.

To minimize departures and returns to campus and decrease the amount of visitors to campus, we will not have our Long Weekends or Mid-Winter Break. For the first month of the school year, boarding students will be required to remain on campus and not return home. After this month, the School will assess the situation to determine the protocols for weekend leaves. When School administration, in accordance with health officials, deem it safe, students may apply for weekend leaves. During the school year, there will be mini-breaks on campus for the students to recharge and rejuvenate.
 

The School will be offering both SAT and ACT tests. The site will be closed to anyone outside the Trinity-Pawling community. The capacity has been scaled back so that each test taker maintains social distance of six feet from one another. The TOEFL test also will be given throughout the year, but restricted to the Trinity-Pawling community only.
 

Trinity-Pawling has no intention of initiating a school closure during the 2020-2021 school year. Any school closure would likely only occur if it were mandated by an executive order of the Governor of the State of New York. 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 would be allowed to remain on campus for remote learning, if they were unable to travel home.
 

The admissions office will be providing virtual information sessions and interviews this Fall. Please contact JP Burlington, Director of Admissions, to schedule a virtual meeting at jburlington@trinitypawling.org.
 

Every member of the community and every visitor 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.

• Day students who do not feel well will be asked to return home.
• Day students whose daily screening indicates the presence of a fever and/or other COVID-19 related symptoms will be asked to return home and receive a PCR test for COVID and may not return to campus without a negative test result.
• Day Students may not enter dormitory residences.
• 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.
• Day Students will be required to complete a daily self-administered health screening before arriving on campus, using the Parent Square app.

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 provided in the Day Students Arrival Schedule and select your time slot as soon as possible.
 

To minimize departures and returns to campus and decrease the amount of visitors to campus, we will not have our Long Weekends or Mid-Winter Break. For the first month of the school year, boarding students will be required to remain on campus and not return home. After this month, the School will assess the situation to determine the protocols for weekend leaves. When School administration, in accordance with health officials, deem it safe, students may apply for weekend leaves. During the school year, there will be mini-breaks on campus for the students to recharge and rejuvenate.
 

Students will be placed in single rooms or large double rooms. Those rooms designated as double rooms will have the beds unbunked and the rooms arranged in a manner that will ensure the necessary physical distancing. The configuration of the double room may not be changed. 
 

To minimize departures and returns to campus and decrease the amount of visitors to campus, we will not have our Long Weekends or Mid-Winter Break. For the first month of the school year, boarding students will be required to remain on campus and not return home. After this month, the School will assess the situation to determine the protocols for weekend leaves. When School administration, in accordance with health officials, deem it safe, students may apply for weekend leaves. During the school year, there will be mini-breaks on campus for the students to recharge and rejuvenate. 

Parents will not be permitted to enter the dormitory units, but may visit their son with the School’s awareness and permission of the circumstances. During the move-in process, one parent will be allowed to assist their son in the dormitory building. 

• Dormitories have been configured as smaller units with no more than 17 students in each dormitory unit. 
• Each dormitory unit has its own bathroom facility 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.

Should international or domestic students need to remain at home or in their dorm room for an extended period of time, they will participate in our hybrid learning program with remote access to live and recorded academic classes and co-curricular activities. International students/families interested in the remote access to the academic program should contact JP Burlington, Director of Admissions, at jburlington@trinitypawling.org.
 

New York State recently instituted a 14-day quarantine policy for anyone coming from abroad or from states with high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Currently, restrictions are in place for 31 states. We are asking that students arrange to do self-quarantine at their guardian’s residence either in New York State or another unrestricted state with low numbers of COVID-19 cases for the 14 days immediately before their scheduled arrival on campus.
International students coming from countries where the United States has instituted a travel ban will need to quarantine in an approved country for 14 days before coming to the United States.

We request all students who expect to travel to campus from abroad or a restricted state to complete this form promptly, confirming whether they can and will be making their own self-quarantine arrangements to satisfy the State of New York requirements.

If self-quarantine is not possible, students may come to campus on August 22 for their 14-day quarantine.

Please reach out to Kim DeFonce, Associate Director of Admission, with any questions or concerns about your visa, international travel, and more: kdefonce@trinitypawling.org. 
 

To ensure equity for both in-person and remote students, faculty are developing a hybrid approach to teaching and learning:

• In-person instruction + 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.

Those families who would like to request consideration for remote learning (synchronous or asynchronous) should contact JP Burlington ’95, Director of Admissions, for more details at jburlington@trinitypawling.org.