March 20, 2020
A message from Headmaster William W. Taylor
officeoftheheadmaster@trinitypawling.org

In this unprecedented time, we are all too aware of how rapidly the COVID-19 landscape is changing our lives. As more and more cases are reported across the country, the focus of public health policy is shifting to slowing the spread of the disease and lowering the concentration of cases. The CDC, the U.S President, the Governor of New York, and state and county agencies have issued orders restricting many activities, including large gatherings. While no case has been reported on our campus, we cannot responsibly resume our boarding program – it would be impossible for Trinity-Pawling to ensure our high standard of care – in light of the current situation and in the interest of student safety. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to conduct the entire Spring Term with remote learning.

Read the full communication

While the boarding program at Trinity-Pawling has been suspended and a remote learning plan has been implemented for the Spring Term, the School as an institution remains open, with teaching and learning continuing through remote classes. For further information, expectations, and guidelines, please visit our Remote Learning hub.
 

UPDATE: MAY 21, 2020

To all Trinity-Pawling boarding families, please visit our Returning Student Belongings page for important information on retrieving your dorm room items.

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

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 changes we have implemented. We have also created several teams ready to assist students and parents in this transition. These teams include Remote Learning Support, Student-Parent Communication, Dormitory and Belongings, Business Office Related Questions, and College Guidance and they will reply to your questions by email or phone, as you prefer. 

Parent Inquiry Form

After classes are completed for the Spring Term, Trinity-Pawling students will have the option to sell back their textbooks. Please carefully read this Buyback Overview document for information on the textbook buyback process, acceptable condition of textbooks, shipping information, and more. You may also refer to this helpful How-To Video when you are ready to begin the textbook buyback process. 

Begin Buyback Process

Important Notes

Any money received from the buyback will be sent directly to parents; it will not be added to the T-P Student Account.

Unfortunately, international students are not able to sell back their textbooks, as MBS does not ship internationally. We apologize for any inconvenience. 

BOCES

If your son receives his textbooks through BOCES, a representative from BOCES will contact you directly about how to safely return your textbooks to your school district. 

Questions? Reach Out!

If you have any questions about the textbook buyback process, please reach out to Sara Ferraris, School Store Manager, at sferraris@trinitypawling.org. Thank you!
 

Update: May 6, 2020

Students and parents, you may have anticipated this announcement, as colleges, universities, and boarding schools across the country have been making similar decisions. Nevertheless, we know it is very disappointing, especially for our seniors. We know that the question of Commencement is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of our seniors and their parents. Please know that this weighs heavily on our hearts and minds as well. While we will not speculate what such a ceremony will look like, we are committed to finding a way to honor the outstanding Class of 2020 and their achievements in ways that will include an event on campus at some point in the future.
 

• Though we have transitioned fully to remote learning for the Spring Term, the School will remain focused on developing a dynamic teaching and learning experience. Faculty and staff will continue to work their full schedule, delivering creative learning opportunities to their students remotely.
   
• Admissions tours and on-campus interviews are cancelled until otherwise notified. The Office of Admissions will be scheduling Skype information sessions and interviews.
   
• Other on-campus events attracting visitors to the campus during the Spring Term have been cancelled. See Campus Event Cancellations in the next tab below.
   
• Remote learning classes will begin on April 1, 2020. Faculty will be in touch and access to the remote platforms will be shared with students before classes begin. Students without daily accessibility to digital devices should contact their advisor directly.

Considering the tremendous challenges that all schools are coping with surrounding this evolving situation, Trinity-Pawling and the Founders League have cancelled the spring athletic season.

We understand how important interscholastic competition is for students and coaches, which makes this a very difficult decision. However, this is the most rational and appropriate step to reduce the risk of exposure on our campus and throughout the entire Founders League community. The health and safety of students and faculty continues to be our top priority.

At Trinity-Pawling, we believe learning (on and off the field) takes place in a community and we will be implementing remote ways of keeping our athletic teams connected. The Pride athletic coaches will contact student-athletes with more information.
 

Event Cancellations

• The spring 2020 athletic season has been cancelled.
   
• We have cancelled Revisit Day on April 4, 2020, Spring Family Weekend in April, and our alumni receptions in March and April (Delray Beach and Washington, D.C.).
   
• We know that the question of Commencement is weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of our seniors and their parents. Please know that this weighs heavily on our hearts and minds as well. While we will not speculate what such a ceremony will look like, we are committed to finding a way to honor the outstanding Class of 2020 and their achievements in ways that will include an event on campus at some point in the future.

• No faculty member may travel to an infected area with a Travel Advisory Level 3 or 4 (travel.state.gov/travel) without having the same assurance of a 14-day illness-free window before returning to campus. Those traveling to Level 2 countries must show medical clearance before returning to campus. This restriction is mandatory and will be in place until notified otherwise.
   
• We continue to encourage proper hygiene and frequent hand-washing, with hand sanitizer stations placed around campus.
   
• We are conducting disinfectant cleanings on a regular basis.
   
• We are restricting any large gatherings on campus and encouraging social distancing.

• We encourage all students and employees to exercise caution when traveling during this uncertain time.
   
• Any employee traveling to any of the countries listed in the CDC's Level 3 or 4 warnings require a 14-day waiting period prior to returning to the School. This 14-day waiting period must start after re-entry into the United States upon returning from the country (passport verification will be required), and may change based on CDC recommendations. Those traveling to Level 2 countries must show medical clearance before returning to campus. The CDC and U.S. Department of State have listed additional countries in which to exercise extra caution when traveling. 
   
• Any employee who has visited with family or friends who have recently traveled (within 2 weeks) from any of the countries listed in the CDC's Level 3 or 4 warnings, we ask that you impose the 14-day waiting period prior to returning to Trinity-Pawling. This 14-day waiting period must start the last day you were with these people.