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