COVID-19 Updates

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

We hope you are doing well and are looking forward to enjoying a restful and rewarding Thanksgiving holiday. As many of you may know, State and County officials recently issued updated guidance in response to local and statewide increases in the daily COVID-19 case rates. As of yesterday, Monday, November 16th, 41 counties, including Alameda County, were placed in the Purple Tier—the most restrictive level in the state's reopening framework.

In light of this update, and in alignment with our cautious, measured approach, Quarry Lane will pause our phased-in reopening. Grade levels that currently operate on our dual-teaching platform—Jr. Kindergarten through Grade 2—will continue to do so. Onsite students in those grade levels may continue to come on campus for instruction. Our planned reopening date for Grades 3 and 8, originally scheduled for December 7th, will be postponed until further notice. Once we are permitted by State and County agencies to continue our reopening plan, and we have determined it is safe to do so, we will communicate the updated reopening dates and plans as soon as possible.

As we have learned over the past months, we must remain nimble, responsive, and adaptable in our current climate. Our decisions, as always, are led by the prioritization of the health and safety of our community, as well as guidance from the State and County. We believe that taking this proactive step now, is in the best interest of our community and will help ensure a safe return to campus in the future. We know how fortunate we are to be part of a community that has successfully led the way in overcoming the unprecedented challenges of the past months, while continuing to deliver an active, engaging learning experience for our students.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, it is more important than ever to remain diligent in our health and safety practices both on campus and off. Please take a moment to review our policies regarding travel, gatherings, and guests, located in our Information Hub.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

With gratitude,

QLS Administration

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

As we approach the end of another fantastic week, we would like to share an update with our community in light of the most recent press release from Alameda County. Please know that the Quarry Lane administration team is closely monitoring the situation and is in regular, ongoing contact with the County. We will make any necessary updates to our continuing reopening plans based on the most current information. Any updates to our plans will, as always, be communicated to families as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support. We wish you a wonderful upcoming weekend!

Kindly,

QLS Administration

Dear QLS Families,

The health and safety of the children in our care is of the utmost important to us. We want to do everything we can to keep everyone safe, healthy, and happy at school. We have updated our COVID-19 Illness Policy and Protocols to include travel quarantine requirements for your family as well as houseguests, and following any large gatherings you may attend. We thank everyone in advance for their cooperation and understanding as we continue to navigate our way through this global pandemic.

The major changes are below, you may review the entire policy on our website.

COVID-19 Illness Policies and Protocols

In the absence of specific Quarry Lane School policies, employees, students and their families are expected to comply with directives from the State of California and the Alameda County Department of Public Health established to control the spread of COVID-19.

Self-Quarantine

Travel: Employees, students and their families must self-quarantine for 14 days* before returning to school when

• travel is international, or within the United States, and
• public transportation is used where they are in close contact with persons not in their social, family or household bubble (bus, airplane, cruise ship, etc.), and/or
• they come into close contact with persons not in their social, family or household bubble upon arrival at their destination.

Houseguests: Employees and students who have family members or guests from outside their social, household or family bubble visiting and/or staying in their home must self-quarantine for 14 days* to ensure that everyone is free of infection.

Gatherings: Employees, students and their families must self-quarantine for 14 days* before returning to school if

• they attend a large social gathering of persons who are not in their social, family or household bubble like a wedding, funeral, or party, or
• they attend a mass gathering like a sporting event, concert, or parade and where facial coverings and social distancing are not employed.

*Self-quarantine includes avoiding all social contact by staying home and limiting activities in public spaces. When possible, you should only leave home to receive medical care and for no other reason.

Employees and students may return to school before the recommended 14 days, if they have a negative COVID-19 test that is taken 7 days after their possible exposure.

Kindly,

Quarry Lane Administration

Dear QLS Families,

We appreciate your continued partnership, as we navigate our phased-in approach to re-opening our school campus to those families who have chosen the on-site platform. We were thrilled to welcome our first graders onto campus weeks ago and look forward to our second graders returning this coming Monday, November 2nd.

Alameda County extended their public health order this week to include middle and high school students returning to campuses, adhering to all restrictions and mitigation strategies to support the health and safety of students and staff.

Our tentative plan, based on current information, is to continue our phased-in reopening carefully. Based on the most updated information, we will welcome our third (3rd) and eighth (8th) grade students, who have chosen the onsite platform, back to campus on December 7th.

Our fifth (5th) and seventh (7th) grade on-site students will return to campus on January 5th, after winter break. Presuming that all continues to go well and it is safe to do so, grades fourth (4th) and sixth (6th) will then fall in line with a transition in mid-January, and high school students will return to campus, starting February 1st.

In consideration of this timeline and holiday family travel plans, please carefully review the required quarantine time periods, along with travel restrictions outlined in our email communication sent on October 13.

Please note, the onsite student timeline is tentative, and will be confirmed closer to the reopening dates listed. We will continue to stay in constant contact with Alameda County Department of Health/Education, and update you as we receive new information. Please continue to visit our Information Hub on our website for the most up-to-date information.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration, as we navigate the safest school re-opening for our students and staff.

With kind regard,

QLS Administration

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

As the County approaches the two-week mark in the Red Tier, we would like to share our initial phase-in process for welcoming onsite students back on campus. Under the new order from the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD), elementary schools will be allowed to begin in-person class instruction, followed by reopening timeframes for middle and high school students in the coming months. To prioritize and ensure the health and safety of our community— and allow for a smooth transition to our dual teaching platform—Quarry Lane will take an incremental, phased-in approach to reopening, beginning with our first grade students on Monday, October 19th. First grade students who selected the onsite learning platform may return to campus on October 19th, following the health and safety protocols outlined in our Path to Reopening Guide. As we safely and effectively phase in our first grade students to onsite instruction, we will announce reopening dates for our subsequent grade levels.

Please continue to refer to our Information Hub and Path to Reopening Guide for up to date information. Additionally, please note that the onsite learning option is available only to those who selected the onsite platform at this time, in order to maintain the low-density needed to properly adhere to our health and safety protocols. Detailed information regarding our return to campus—including specific drop-off and pick-up protocols, EEP (Extended Education Program-afterschool care) information for Lower School students, and more, will be sent via email, prior to the re-opening date.

Our administration and faculty team has worked diligently over the last several weeks to reassess and re-evaluate the virus mitigation measures put in place to support our phased-in re-opening. We are confident in our readiness and look forward to welcoming our students back on campus. Rest assured that we will continue to evaluate, assess, and make any necessary modifications to our health and safety protocols and dual-teaching practices, to ensure the safest, most effective learning environment for our students and our community.

We are heartened to know that we will soon be welcoming students back on campus, and we appreciate the support and hard work of our students, families, faculty, and staff over the past six months. As we look forward to reopening our campus, it is critical for each member of our community to continue to adhere to health and safety practices at home, and off-campus. Keeping our community safe requires a diligent effort from every member as we move forward together.

Kindly,

Quarry Lane School Administration

Dear QLS Families,

Earlier this week, the State announced that Alameda County has moved into the Red Tier, per the State's color-coded four-tier Blueprint for a Safer Economy. While the shift to the Red Tier permits counties to open schools for in-person learning after two weeks in the tier, Quarry Lane has not set a definitive campus re-opening date at this time. We will continue to be in constant communication with County health officials, and will communicate our plans for a phased-in re-opening, once we have confirmed and finalized the details to do so.

Know that our health and safety protocols for onsite learning are in place and ready. We remain hopeful to welcome our students safely back on campus soon. Please continue to check the Information Hub for updated information.

Kindly,

QLS Administration

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

In just a few hours, we will officially begin another new and exciting—albeit different—school year at Quarry Lane. As our students prepare to log on to his or her very first class tomorrow, they will do so with a mix of anticipation, excitement, and perhaps some first day jitters. The Quarry Lane team has spent the summer tirelessly preparing for this moment—putting in an enormous amount of hard work and dedication. What has driven us through it all is a love and passion for teaching and for our students. So, while there will inevitably be a few glitches and bumps along the road tomorrow, or the next couple of days, one thing that we can certainly promise is that your children will be cared for by an amazing, dedicated team of educators who are ready to lead the way to a spectacular 2020-2021 school year.

Here is a "roadmap" to our plans for this unusual school year. In this guidebook, we have laid out our plans, expectations, and recommendations for the 2020-2021 academic year. Keep in mind, as with everything COVID-related, this will be a fluid document and will be updated, added to, and amended, as new information arises. In addition to the link below, the guidebook will also be available on the Information Hub, and the Parent Portal.

QLS Path to Reopening Guidebook

We look forward to a wonderful first day of school! Let's do this, Cougars!

Kindly,

Quarry Lane Administration

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

Per the state requirements asserted by Governor Newsom today, The Quarry Lane School will offer our onsite instruction platform once Alameda County has been off the state's County Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days. If Alameda County is not off of the Monitoring List in time to open the school year on August 24th, The Quarry Lane School will start the 2020-2021 school year with distance learning and move into our dual-instruction platform that includes onsite and online options, following public health guidelines, as soon as we're able. We have integrated the feedback from students, parents, and staff into our growth plan to evolve our distance teaching platform. We're looking forward to engaging with our students as we start the 2020-2021 school year.

We will send additional correspondence once more information becomes available. Please visit our Information Hub for the most updated information.

Kindly,

The Quarry Lane School Administration

Greetings Quarry Lane Families,

We hope you are enjoying a wonderful, restful summer break. We are excitedly preparing for the fall semester and looking forward to welcoming your children back to campus. Safety of our community—students, staff, and teachers—remains our number one priority. As you can imagine, there has been a lot to consider in crafting our return plan among the daily, ever-changing information we are receiving from health, county, and government officials. Additionally, it is important to us that we accommodate your family's preferences for the 2020-2021 school year. From our previous communication (May 29), you know that we are offering a dual-teaching platform, giving you the choice of on-campus or live-remote instruction. With that said, it is critical that we ascertain your preference in order to finalize our preparations.

In order to help you make the most informed and best decision for your family, it is important that you clearly understand what each instruction platform looks like. While we remain committed to adjusting our plans based on the most current information gathered, here is our plan as of today with the current information we have. Keep in mind that the key details and protocols outlined here are not an exhaustive list. Our Development Committee—comprised of members from QLS faculty and administration—continues to fine-tune every detail, as new information arises, while also reviewing important feedback we've received from parents, teachers, and students.

On-Campus Instruction Platform

• Each student is required to bring and wear at all times a mask that covers both the nose and mouth. The exceptions are to eat and drink.
• Symptom checks, including temperature checks, are administered daily. Students who present one symptom and/or register a temperature above 100.4 will not be allowed on campus and will be asked to return home.
• Frequent hand sanitization occurs.
• Increased surface cleaning and disinfection of classrooms and spaces.
• Daily schedules are constructed to minimize movement around campus.
• All persons on campus (students, faculty, and staff) adhere to social distancing and other safety protocol. No shared items are allowed, such as school supplies and food items.
• At certain grade levels, students are required to bring a device, such as a laptop or tablet, and headphones each day to facilitate group work with students learning remotely. We will apprise you of the details by the beginning of August.
• To reduce the number of people on campus and facilitate health and safety measures, parents and visitors are not allowed on campus during the school day. Detailed morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will be sent separately.

NOTE: We have measured the campus spaces to determine how many students we can safely accommodate in each classroom and in other common-use spaces. The Development Committee continues to discuss how best to group students and have them receive instruction, such as placing students in cohorts and having teachers—instead of students—transfer between classrooms. We are also investigating best ways to provide lunch and breaks during the day, as well as how to safely engage students in social, athletic, and artistic programming.

Despite our best plans, there is still a risk associated with coming in contact with people outside of your family. If you feel uncomfortable with your child coming in contact with others at this time, please take advantage of our remote teaching option.

Distance Instruction Platform

• Students are required to have a device, such as a laptop or tablet, with working audio and camera.
• Students need a quiet space or room to participate in daily lessons.
• Students should sit in a chair and work at a desk or table to maximize student learning.
• Students adhere to the same schedule as if they were on campus.
• Students follow on-campus protocols, such as dress code and appropriate times for eating.
• The Zoom platform is utilized to engage in lessons and participate with classmates.
• Material pickups will be needed periodically to secure necessary materials.
  

NOTE: The Development Committee continues to research best instructional practices and how to implement them to enhance student learning.

Please use this form to denote your preference by July 10, 2020. Please keep in mind that submitting the form does not guarantee your chosen teaching platform. Additionally, due to the limited amount of students we can safely host on campus per social distancing requirements, a confirmation of your instruction platform for the fall semester will be sent prior to the start of the school year (by Monday, August 10th).

As always, our priority is the health and safety of our community—students, staff, and teachers. We are committed to providing a safe, engaging, and comprehensive learning experience that brings out the best in each student, regardless of instructional platform. We are confident that 2020-2021 will be another incredibly successful year at Quarry Lane!

Kindly,

Quarry Lane Administration

Dr. Sabri Arac, Head of School

Candice McGraw, Senior Director of School

Eric Nguyen, High School Director

Shari Liebman, Middle School Director

Kristina Mazaika, Lower School Director

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

As the 2019-2020 school year comes to a close, we reflect not just on the last two months, but the school year as a whole. While the past two months have been a large part of this year's "story", we would be remiss not mention all of the incredible memories and achievements that have taken place throughout the entire year. Our standout athletics, speech and debate, robotics, theater, STEM, world language, and arts programs continued to grow and thrive this year. Our students' talents and achievements continue to earn international, national, state, and local recognition. Our tradition of excellence has indeed continued this year both on campus and off.

Over the past couple of months, the Quarry Lane community has achieved amazing things together, while demonstrating creativity, resiliency, kindness, and dedication. Students, teachers, staff, and parents have expertly adapted to teaching and learning in new ways, while supporting one another, and those around them. There is no question that Quarry Lane has moved forward with great skill and integrity as our teachers and administration continue to deliver our mission. We can all take great pride in the accomplishments of our school in meeting the challenges of these times.

Congratulations are in order to our Seniors of 2020. Nothing can diminish or take away from the pride we all feel for these incredible students' tremendous achievements. Our students will be continuing their educational journey through a plethora of incredible opportunities from Stanford, Carnegie Melon, UC Berkeley, West Point, and so many more. The spirit and positivity that our seniors have displayed, despite the challenges and disappointments serve as a model for our entire QLS community.

Understandably, the uncertainty caused by the virus has raised many questions about the future. As our state gradually begins to reopen, our team is actively engaged in planning so that we are fully prepared to deliver continued educational excellence and meet the social and emotional needs of our students. Quarry Lane is proactively taking the lead in our approach by offering a dual-learning platform to support both on-site and distance teaching.

Our commitment to both on-site instruction that puts health and safety first, and distance teaching will require flexibility and new routines. To this end, we are utilizing the best available resources to continue defining our protocols around COVID-19 health and safety standards. We have measured our campus spaces to determine how many students we can safely accommodate in each classroom and in other common-use spaces. We are developing protocol around temperature monitoring, mask use, social distancing, and increased hygiene and safety measures. We are discussing whether placing students in cohorts, with teachers moving between classes, is a workable practice. We are also researching how best to facilitate break and lunch periods and how to safely involve students in social, athletic, and artistic programming. In addition to the planning around the on-site instruction, an integral part in our discussions is the collective research our team is conducting to utilize best practices and methodology for our on-line platform.

As planning continues, it is important for all community members to remain informed. We urge families to access our Quarry Lane Information Hub for the most up-to-date information.

We once again want to thank our amazing community, for the continued collaboration and support. As is our tradition, Quarry Lane will continue to be a leader in providing the very best education and school experience possible for our students and remain adaptable and ready for whatever the future brings.

With gratitude,

Quarry Lane School Administration

• We are a strong, resilient, and supportive community. The QLS community has always been this, but the recent situation has magnified the partnership that we share with our families and students. In many ways, it has shined a light on our collective desire to help each other and see our students and programs succeed.
• We can do it; we can do it well; and we can make it even better. While distance teaching is indeed different than learning physically in the classroom, Quarry Lane has been able to successfully adapt and deliver a learning experience that aligns with our core mission and goals to our students at home—far exceeding many of our neighboring schools in the Bay Area. It will be a continuous work-in-progress, as we always strive to improve upon ourselves and be the best we can be. But knowing that what we are doing is working and working well, gives us tremendous confidence as we move forward with this model.
  

Head of School

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

First and foremost, I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to you all for your support and patience as we've adapted to this rapidly evolving situation. Our quick and nimble shift to distance learning was undoubtedly made possible by the dedication and commitment of our faculty, staff, students, and families. This speaks volumes towards the strength of our community and our shared goal to provide the very best for our students--especially under challenging circumstances.

As many of you may know, yesterday, the Alameda County Office of Education announced the extension of school closures for seven Bay Area counties through May 1, 2020 to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). In the interest of the health and safety of our community, we have made the decision to extend Quarry Lane's distance learning program through May 1st. We plan to return to campus on May 4th, keeping in mind that this may shift depending on how the situation unfolds.

We realize that this is disheartening news for many of us who miss the normalcy of going to school and were looking forward to coming back to campus. Many of our students and families are understandably disappointed to see some of our time honored events and traditions cancelled or postponed. I encourage us all to stay positive, continue to support each other, and be kind.

Amid the uncertainty of our situation, I take comfort in knowing that the learning has indeed continued for our students, and will continue. We are an incredible community and we will get through this together. This much, I can guarantee.

Thank you again for your flexibility and partnership as we navigate through uncharted territory.

With gratitude,
Dr. Sabri Arac

Head of School
Quarry Lane School

Dear Quarry Lane Families,

By 4:00 p.m. today, teachers will have posted the links for Zoom classroom on students' portals. Just a reminder, unlike Skype, Zoom doesn't "ring". Participants must click on the link to join the class (group meeting).

The following link provides a quick tutorial of Zoom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFhAEoCF7jg

Due to the Bay Area shelter in place starting at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, March 17th, our offices will be closed. However, to reach out:

To Teachers: email first letter of first name, last name at quarrylane.org (All faculty names are available on our website: www.quarrylane.org.) ;

To Administrators: email Admin-LS-Communication@quarrylane.org for Lower School Administration ; Admin-MS-Communication@quarrylane.org for Middle School Administration; and Admin-HS-Communication@quarrylane.org for High School Administration.

Middle School Bell Schedule

High School Bell Schedule

We are grateful to our families and staff for their tremendous efforts and understanding during these challenging times. We appreciate how you will continue to put things in perspective and be kind to each other and focus on taking care of our families, colleagues, and people in need. Thank you.

Kindest regards,

QLS Administration

Dear Quarry Lane School Community Members:

As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak unfolds, the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and families remains our highest priority. Throughout this evolving situation, the Quarry Lane administration team has sought to balance our commitment to the health of our community and the growing concerns of our families with our desire for continuity of our students' learning.

While Quarry Lane does not have a reported case of COVID-19 in our community, we have made the decision to shift to distance learning for our Jr. Kindergarten through Grade 12 students effective Tuesday, March 17th. Please refer to your child's Plus Portals account to receive Zoom log-on information for their classes. Our faculty will have this information available by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16th.

In order to ensure that our faculty and staff are fully prepared to implement our distance learning plan, we will hold a professional development training for our faculty on Monday, March 16th. Because Monday, March 16th will be a professional development day with no instruction, Monday, April 6th (which was originally the first day of spring break) will be an instructional day.

Here is a glance at the next few days for our Jr. K-Grade 12 students:

• Monday, March 16: Faculty Professional Development Day (no students on campus)

In order for you to be prepared for distance learning, you will need your students' textbooks. For Lower School, books will be available at carline. For Upper School, students may go directly to their lockers. We ask that families please move on and off campus quickly as we continue to minimize exposure.

Please find the timeslots below for your grade level pick-up:

• 9:00 -9:45 am: 6th and 9th grades
• 10:00 -10:45 am: 7th and 10th grades
• 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.: 8th and 11th grades
• 12:00 – 12:45 pm: Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 12th grade
• 1:00 – 1:30 pm: 1st Grade
• 1:45 – 2:15 pm: 2nd and 3rd grade
• 2:30 – 3:00 pm: 4th grade
• 3:15 – 3:45 pm: 5th grade

• Tuesday, March 17-Monday, April 6: Distance Learning Begins and follows your child's regular daily schedule.
• Tuesday, April 7-10: Spring Break (Monday, April 6th is an instructional day)
• Monday, April 13: On-campus Classes Resume.

Quarry Lane School Dublin Campus is not closing. We are transitioning to distance learning. The school administration will continue to update families via e-mail, Parent Portal and via our school website.

We realize these changes may be disappointing and upsetting to our students and families and that this can cause a range of emotions and anxiety. Let's continue to show each other kindness and compassion as we get through this together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Sabri Arac

Head of School