2020-21 Updates
Welcome to our Reopening SG webpage, where we will continue to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the 2020-21 school year. Our plan for both in-person and remote learning incorporates the guiding wisdom of the Rhode Island Governor’s Office and the R.I. Department of Health.
We hope many of your questions are answered here; however if not, please see the email list at the bottom of this page to submit your query.
Spring Calendar
March 28 | Spring Break ends |
March 29 | Faculty & staff tested |
March 29-April 2 |
Remote classes (No classes April 3) |
March 29- April 5 |
Pre-Arrival Quarantine |
April 2 | Faculty & staff tested |
April 5 |
Boarding students arrive* |
April 5-6 | Isolation Period (until all test results are received) |
April 6 | Phase One** Remote classes On-campus Quarantine |
April 9 | Faculty & staff tested |
April 11 | All students tested |
April 13 | Phase Two** In-person classes and activities resume Day students return |
April 15 | Weekly surveillance testing begins for full community |
April 19 |
Phase Three** |
May 24-28 | Assessment Week |
May 28 | Underformers depart (after last commitment) |
May 31 | Prize Day |
*Families will once again be asked to sign-up for an arrival time. A Sign-Up Genius form will be sent during the week prior to the students’ return.
**These dates are tentative. Movement between phases will be predicated on testing results.
Updated 2-26-21
St. George's Community Agreement (Updated)
In order to best ensure the health and safety of every member of our campus family, St. George’s is asking that all students agree to the terms of our Community Agreement for the 2020-21 school year.
Moving through our phases
We've updated our phasing protocol for the spring term. To find out more about our "Back to the Hilltop" plan, click here.
Latest Communications
Return from Spring Break
Information for Boarding Families
Information for Day Families
Information for Remote Families
Spring Term Update
ISL Regarding Spring Athletic Season Update
Reopening SG Webinar Archive
Please note these answers were accurate when they aired, but they have not been updated, and new policies may be in place. These serve as a record of that moment in time.
Webinars
In keeping with our commitment to keep families informed every step of the way, we hosted our first webinar of the winter term on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m.
Jan. 13, 2021
We began a new series of regular webinars that will take place at the beginning of each academic mini-term. These took place on Sept. 20, Oct. 11 and Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
Sept. 20, 2020
Information Session for Families
OCt. 11, 2020
Information Session for Families II
Nov. 1, 2020
Information Session for Families III
Frequently Asked Questions Archive
Please note these answers were accurate as of Sept. 1, 2020, but they have not been updated, and new policies may be in place. These serve as a record of that moment in time.
Health & Wellness
- Will some students need to quarantine on campus?
- What about if we’re coming from a “non-hotspot” state?
- What about day students?
- What are some of the protective mechanisms that will be in place for decreasing the possible transmission of illness on campus?
- How will the school mitigate the risks associated with families accompanying students to campus on drop-off days?
- How will physical distancing be enforced in shared spaces (dorms, classrooms, etc.)?
- What kind of face coverings are acceptable?
- How will students who need to go to the Health Center when they are healthy avoid exposures to illness?
- What happens if a student is presenting COVID-19 symptoms?
- Will counseling services still be available to students?
Will some students need to quarantine on campus?
Yes. Boarding students arriving from international locations, domestic hotspots (including Rhode Island), and anyone who needs to fly to campus will arrive on Friday, Aug. 28, and Saturday, Aug. 29, for a 14-day quarantine on campus. Students will be tested upon arrival and will be placed in small quarantine pods (approximately 5-8 students) with whom they will live, eat, and socialize for the following two weeks.
Please note that the list of states is updated regularly, and is expected to change in the weeks between now and the opening of school.
What about if we’re coming from a “non-hotspot” state?
Boarding students from states with lower incidence of the virus (currently Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire) will quarantine from home beginning Aug. 29, and will be scheduled for arrival times on Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12. Students must travel directly from home to school on those dates. They will be tested upon arrival and will need to quarantine in small groups for 24-48 hours until the results are received.
Note: We recognize that some boarders from states with lower incidence may have reason to return to campus for the quarantine period. We ask that any students in need of such an accommodation reach out to Associate Head of School for Student Life Mervan Osborne to discuss their individual circumstances.
What about day students?
What are some of the protective mechanisms that will be in place for decreasing the possible transmission of illness on campus?
Among other measures, guidelines for social distancing (remaining six feet apart) and mask-wearing will be in place. Hand-cleaning stations will be located throughout campus. Community members will work in stable groups, thus decreasing the number of people exposed to each other. Signs will be posted for one-way pedestrian traffic in high-flow areas. The dining hall will expand health-focused protocols, such as providing prewrapped or food that is served.
How will the school mitigate the risks associated with families accompanying students to campus on drop-off days?
Whenever possible, only one adult should bring a returning student to campus for drop off; new boarding students may be accompanied by two adults, though only one may take part in the move-in process. All individuals entering campus must wear protective masks or face coverings. Upon arrival and prior to registration, students and any accompanying adult will undergo a routine screening for symptoms and COVID-19 risk. Movement on the St. George’s campus will be limited in order to promote a safe and healthy environment for all students and other campus residents.
How will physical distancing be enforced in shared spaces (dorms, classrooms, etc.)?
What kind of face coverings are acceptable?
How will students who need to go to the Health Center when they are healthy avoid exposures to illness?
The Health Center is restructured and divided in half with a closed door between the front and the back and separate entrances. Students who are feeling ill will be asked to call before coming and will be instructed on which door they should arrive at. During times when there is contagious illness, the two sides will usually have separate nurses and personal protective gear will be used.
What happens if a student is presenting COVID-19 symptoms?
Will counseling services still be available to students?
We recognize that the mental-health services provided by our clinical psychologists are more critical than ever as we all adjust to a new school routine. The counseling team is currently developing strategies to proactively monitor students’ emotional and social wellness at this challenging time, as well as to respond to individual student’s needs.
Academics
- How will classes be conducted at the start of school?
- How will the school handle the need for both online and in-person instruction?
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My student is scheduled to take the SAT on Saturday, Aug. 29.
How will that be handled? - Will there be final exams?
- How does the change to semesters affect the diploma requirements for seniors?
- If my student misses class due to illness, what procedures are in place to help him/her get the material that was missed?
- When will new students get their school-issued laptops?
How will classes be conducted at the start of school?
How will the school handle the need for both online and in-person instruction?
My student is scheduled to take the SAT on Saturday, Aug. 29.
How will that be handled?
The SAT will continue to be offered on Aug. 29. Boarding students planning to take the test may arrive on Aug. 28 if they are planning to quarantine on campus. Day students and boarders from nearby will be able to attend the test and then return home for quarantine. The College Counseling Office will be in touch with each student to discuss individual plans.
Will there be final exams?
How does the change to semesters affect the diploma requirements for seniors?
If my student misses class due to illness, what procedures are in place to help him/her get the material that was missed?
When will new students get their school-issued laptops?
Campus Life
- What are stable groups? And why use them?
- Will dorm rooms have single or double occupancy?
- Will students be able to use Leave of Convenience weekend permissions?
- Will students have access to off-campus permissions, which could include the beach, half-town, full-town? What about a walk/run?
- How will students dine on campus?
- Will students be allowed to order from food-delivery services?
- What are the rules regarding parent/guardian visits to campus?
- Will non-family visitors be allowed on campus?
- Will laundry services still be available?
What are stable groups? And why use them?
Will dorm rooms have single or double occupancy?
Will students be able to use Leave of Convenience weekend permissions?
As we adhere to our goal of establishing a safe environment that mitigates transmission, students will not be able to make use of weekend or overnight permissions. Any boarding student who needs to leave campus during the fall term must request permission through the Student Life Office, and the request will be assessed for both necessity and risk. In cases of established emergency that require students to travel, re-entry to campus must be preceded by 14 days of quarantine.
Will students have access to off-campus permissions, which could include the beach, half-town, full-town? What about a walk/run?
How will students dine on campus?
Will students be allowed to order from food-delivery services?
What are the rules regarding parent/guardian visits to campus?
At the start of the school year, any parent/guardian wishing to visit campus will need to make prior arrangements through the Student Life Office, submit to a health screening upon arrival, wear a mask, and practice social distancing. These guidelines may change if health concerns diminish and we are currently evaluating our ability to offer ample spaces for family visits on-campus.
Will non-family visitors be allowed on campus?
Will laundry services still be available?
Dragon Athletics, Arts & Activities
- When will athletics resume?
- Will my student have the opportunity to participate in clubs and other activities?
- What interventions will take place to decrease transmission of illness in athletic facilities?
- Can I pick my student up for their private league games and practices?
When will athletics resume?
Our guidance on this matter will come from the Independent School League (ISL). If interscholastic competition is not viable, our teams will take part in developmental activities including skill development, strength and conditioning, small-group targeted training, and game strategy.
There was a letter regarding the Fall Athletic Season sent on June 23.
Will my student have the opportunity to participate in clubs and other activities?
What interventions will take place to decrease transmission of illness in athletic facilities?
Can I pick my student up for their private league games and practices?
Calendar & Events
- When will students return?
- Will there be a Family Weekend this fall?
- How will you handle traditional St. George’s events, such as Middlesex Weekend and the Christmas Festival?
When will students return?
Will there be a Family Weekend this fall?
How will you handle traditional St. George’s events, such as Middlesex Weekend and the Christmas Festival?
Enrollment & Tuition
- If we decide to not return to SG this fall, do we still need to pay the full tuition?
- If we decide after the July 31, 2020, deadline to withdraw from SG, will tuition refund insurance (TRI) cover our tuition?
- When is our tuition payment due?
If we decide to not return to SG this fall, do we still need to pay the full tuition?
If we decide after the July 31, 2020, deadline to withdraw from SG, will tuition refund insurance (TRI) cover our tuition?
Generally, TRI will cover a medical withdrawal if it occurs after Aug. 1. A nonmedical withdrawal has stricter guidelines, including a requirement to attend classes for 14 days in order to qualify for coverage. Please be sure to consult the policy details in the tuition-refund insurance brochure.
When is our tuition payment due?
Winter-Term FAQs
- How many students are on campus for the winter term?
- What kind of face coverings are recommended for students this winter?
- What will COVID-19 testing be like in the winter term?
- What happens if my child's test comes back positive?
- If my child tests positive, may I come to get them?
- What percentage of the students have already been infected and what is your policy for testing in that case?
- Will St. George's have access to the COVID-19 vaccine from the state for students and staff?
- Will mental-health counseling sessions be face-to-face?
- Why are you moving from trimesters to semesters?
- What will the meal program on campus look like this semester?
- What about food delivery?
- Will the Grill in the Campus Center reopen?
- Is any socializing allowed in the dorms after school?
- Will you allow campus visits this term?
- Will the boarders’ larger furniture, such as sofas, be returned to them?
- Will there be winter-season athletic games against other schools?
- Will the workout area be open for students?
- Is the pool open?
- What will Spring Break look like?
How many students are on campus for the winter term?
What kind of face coverings are recommended for students this winter?
What will COVID-19 testing be like in the winter term?
We will increase our surveillance testing this winter. We will be testing every student on campus every week. We've also bolstered our short-turnaround testing, so we have multiple options for students at the Health Center. If we have a positive result on campus and feel there's been direct exposure with other people, we'll be able to test with a 15-minute turnaround time for results.
What happens if my child's test comes back positive?
First, we find the student and bring them to the isolation room in our Health Center, which is separated from the rest of the center by a door and has a separate air-circulation system. Then we immediately figure out who has been face-to-face with that student for more than 15 minutes and if there's another student on campus that fits that category, we bring that student over for quarantine.
If my child tests positive, may I come to get them?
The Health Center is more than capable of seeing a student through COVID from diagnosis to recovery. However, any parent who can drive to pick up their student who has been either isolated or quarantined here at school is encouraged to bring their student home to be isolated or quarantined there. The Health Center may ask you to sign a waiver if you take your child who has tested positive home, acknowledging that you are aware that they are contagious and need to be separated from other people that are vulnerable.
What percentage of the students have already been infected and what is your policy for testing in that case?
Will St. George's have access to the COVID-19 vaccine from the state for students and staff?
For staff, definitely; for students, that remains to be clarified. Rhode Island is currently in Phase 1 of its COVID-19 vaccination program, and our Health Center staff has already been part of the immunization process. The state’s plan for who will be vaccinated in Phase 2 has not yet been finalized.
Will mental-health counseling sessions be face-to-face?
Counseling sessions will continue to be virtual, however we understand that it's quite difficult to have counseling if you have a roommate and you're expected to have your session in your room. Therefore, we have two rooms on campus where students can be uninterrupted and in complete privacy for counseling. Students can reserve one of these rooms in advance through their counselor.
Why are you moving from trimesters to semesters?
What will the meal program on campus look like this semester?
Faculty worked with the Sage dining hall staff to solicit student feedback on the previous semester’s food, and we’re prepared to better serve the students with their preferred choices and increase popular options. For lunch in particular, students will be able to choose what they wish to eat that day from the items that are going to be prepared. We have also added a snack period between 2:15 and 2:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and on Sundays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. During those snack periods offerings could range anywhere from sandwiches to fruits (and some of us hope for some cookies every now and then), but there will be a pretty good balance of all the things that we think our kids are hoping for.
What about food delivery?
We will continue to work hard to provide ways for students to access food from other sources, but services such as Grub Hub and Doordash, we believe, represent an unnecessary safety risk by allowing independent contractors that we don't have any background information on to enter our campus and interact with our students. A lot of work was done in the fall to try to provide a more controlled delivery, whereby food from local establishments was delivered to a central location and we will likely expand and redeploy that plan. It’s also important to us to support the local economy.
Will the Grill in the Campus Center reopen?
The grill will not be back fully operational during its normal hours because we use the grill as our second dining hall. It is difficult to have it open during the day because the dining staff has to clean it between each use and actually prepare the food for every meal there. We did, however, start developing a grill delivery during the week in the evenings and will continue to provide that option in the winter.
Is any socializing allowed in the dorms after school?
Yes, but we do not allow students to go from dorm to dorm. We have identified several spaces on campus that can serve as mutual gathering locations and we have repurposed our second hockey rink to be, essentially, a second field house. We're exploring ways that kids can find those opportunities to socialize once classes are over, but again we do have to make sure that we're monitoring the health of our community. That will dictate how we proceed over the winter term.
Will you allow campus visits this term?
Will the boarders’ larger furniture, such as sofas, be returned to them?
Probably not during the winter term, given where we are still in the pandemic. Our students were fantastic this fall, but having furniture that would possibly tempt and encourage individuals to hang out close together just doesn’t align with our safety expectations in residential spaces. We’ll re-evaluate this in the spring.
Will there be winter-season athletic games against other schools?
No. The heads of the ISL schools made the joint decision to cancel interscholastic play this winter, as they did in the fall. While we're hoping that the spring term will bring some changes to that, we don't anticipate a typical spring athletic season either. Rest assured, the ISL heads of school are meeting every other week, doing everything they can, to try to figure out ways to return to team play.