Campus Plan During COVID-19

Our plan allows Rutgers Preparatory School to offer a full-day program for all students each day as soon as it is prudent. However, we recognize that with the current challenges posed by the pandemic, we need to reduce the number of students on campus each day, and in many cases, the number of students in certain classrooms. RPS is seeking to significantly reduce the number of students on campus so that we can further social distancing while providing the instruction that the majority of our families seek.

We are continuing to offer families the option to have their children remain at home for remote instruction, but the vast majority of families have indicated that they want their children on campus. Our September approach combines offering on-campus instruction to Lower School families with an on-campus/off-campus weekly rotation in the Middle School and Upper School to address class size. We will continue with this approach until we are confident returning all students each day to campus is prudent.

Contained Cohorts in the Lower School

When we start in September, Lower School will be on campus every day and Lower School classes will remain together in cohorts throughout the day, limiting contact with children in other grades. Teachers of Specials will come to the classrooms, and many will take advantage of our spacious campus on nice weather days to teach outdoors.

In order to respect classroom cohorts, we will not offer Early Birds or the After School Program until we feel the campus situation can safely support the mixing of Lower School grade levels.

Hybrid Instruction Model for Middle School and Upper School Students

For Middle and Upper School, in September RPS will open with a weekly rotation of two groups of Middle and Upper School students on an on-campus/off-campus cycle so that half of the students in Grades 6 through 12 are on campus at any time while the other half are involved in the classroom via remote learning. This reduces class size and the number of students in the hallways, on the stairs, and having lunch.

This Hybrid Instruction Model will continue until such a time as we feel our campus can safely and effectively accommodate 600+ students each day, a decision that will be heavily influenced by State of New Jersey and CDC guidelines.

Middle School and Upper School students will be communicated with prior to the start of school with the weekly rotation group to which they have been assigned. Students from the same family will be assigned to the same rotation group; if for any reason a family prefers to have their children in opposing rotation groups, that can be accommodated as well. Please note that in order to minimize the number of individuals a student interacts with in-person, once the School Year begins, students may not switch rotation groups.

The reopening goal for Rutgers Prep is the safe return of as many students as possible to in-person learning. This will require a culture of health and safety throughout the Rutgers Prep community, and adherence to generally accepted practices the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) recommend to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Face Coverings

Everyone on the Rutgers Prep campus, including all students, Faculty and Staff, must have face masks.

Masks must be brought from home, labeled with the owner’s name, and adequately cover both the nose and mouth. Acceptable masks include surgical and cloth masks; bandanas, neck gaiters and scarves will not be allowed. Face shields may be worn in addition to masks.

Masks are required at all times while indoors, except when eating and drinking during approved lunch periods. When indoors, Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students may be permitted to remove masks during nap/rest times, when six-foot distancing can be enforced.

When outdoors, there may be times when six-foot distancing can be enforced, and masks may be safely removed. Students will always be instructed if masks can be safely removed; students should never remove a mask without clear direction from a member of the Faculty or Staff.

Any family who feels that their child has a health condition that prevents them from wearing a mask for the duration of the school day is encouraged to consider remote learning.

Hand Washing

Students, Faculty, and Staff are required to exercise hand hygiene (hand washing or sanitizing) upon arrival to school, before eating, before putting on and taking off masks, and before dismissal.

Physical Distancing & Classroom Modifications

Physical distance greatly reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission.We have made modifications to classroom assignments, seating arrangements, and maximum classroom capacities in order to ensure that there will be a minimum of six feet of separation or physical barriers in place between students and Faculty. Wherever possible, student seats will be assigned (including classrooms, buses, and during meals).

In the Lower School, we have arranged for a second room in Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten and Grade 1 in order to reduce classroom density and optimize social distancing during certain projects. We have also installed plexiglass in classrooms to enhance social distancing between students.

In the Middle School and Upper School, larger classes will be assigned to the largest classroom spaces, and consequently some grades/classrooms will be moving to provide the best locations for each class. The All Division Room and the Holliday Room, two of Rutgers Prep’s largest indoor spaces, will be utilized as classrooms during the 2020-2021 School Year.

We have purchased outdoor tents and rented picnic tables in order to expand outdoor teaching options and to minimize the potential of needing to utilize an overflow resource room.

We have reduced capacity in areas such as the Dining Commons, Upper School Lounge, Baldwin Hall, Daniel Hall, the Library, and the Barn, and will limit the times that students may access these areas.

The Upper School is in a very good place regarding laboratory space for both Biology and Chemistry. Each of the labs have no less than five lab areas that can be divided to isolate two students per area, thereby allowing labs to take place at half section capacity. In addition, we can use virtual lab simulations with programs like Labster that offer high level simulations.

Cleaning & Air Flow

We have elevated our cleaning protocols in order to minimize the chance of COVID-19 spread via contaminated surfaces or poor ventilation. We have added employees to our daytime custodial staff, who will perform deep cleaning and disinfecting across campus with a focus on high-touch areas (e.g., tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks). In addition, Faculty and Staff will all be provided with additional disinfectant materials to disinfect as needed and on demand.

Our evening custodial staff will have additional hours to complete a thorough disinfection of all campus buildings and rooms.

During the Summer, we evaluated ventilation systems to ensure they are all operating properly and provide acceptable indoor air quality. We then initiated strategies to increase outdoor air ventilation and enhance indoor air quality. We have increased the number of windows and doors that can be opened for fresh air, further opened air dampers to reduce or eliminate recirculation, and increased the frequency of air filter evaluations and replacements.

In addition, we have placed portable air purifiers in some areas.

(Please refer to Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios for a complete guide to Rutgers Prep policies.

Despite all the measures Rutgers Prep and our community take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, there will likely be times when a student, Faculty, or Staff member (or a person in their family) tests positive or comes in contact with someone who has. Rutgers Prep will utilize strict contact tracing and quarantine/isolation strategies to help control the spread of COVID-19 and keep our campus community safe.

Communication to RPS Community

Rutgers Prep will have standardized notification letters ready to be electronically mailed to the school community as deemed necessary for each possible instance of transmission or infection of COVID-19.

Close contacts of a COVID-19 case will be advised to be tested and should not come back to campus until they have quarantined for 14 days (without developing symptoms).

In school settings, close contacts include students, Faculty, and Staff who were within six feet of the COVID-19 case for at least ten minutes in a classroom, in other school spaces, on the bus, or at an extracurricular activity. In the Lower School, where the students are in self-contained classrooms for an extended period, all students, Faculty, or Staff within this cohort are considered close contacts as they may have been within six feet of the person with a positive test result.

Continuation of Instruction

When students must stay home for quarantine or isolation, teaching and learning will not stop. Rutgers Prep will provide remote learning for students who cannot be in school for any period of time.

COVID-19 Response Protocols

The following quick reference sheet summarizes the protocols Rutgers Prep will follow when a community member develops COVID-19 symptoms or is exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual:

First Days of School

Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten students will begin classes on Tuesday, September 8 (8:20am - 10:20am)

NEW Lower School students Grade 1 through 5 will begin classes on Tuesday, September 8 (8:20am - 10:20am)

RETURNING Lower School students Grade 1 through 5 will begin classes on Wednesday, September 9

Middle School students will be assigned by their weekly rotation group to begin classes in-person either on Thursday, September 10 or Friday, September 11.

Upper School students will begin classes on Monday, September 14, half in-person, half remote according to their weekly rotation group.

Before Leaving Home

Each day, members of the Rutgers Prep community should identify any known incidents of exposure to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days, and if exposure is identified, then do not come to campus.

In addition, if you have any of the following symptoms, STAY HOME.

❏ Fever (100.4° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
❏ Cough
❏ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
❏ New loss of taste or smell
❏ Sore throat
❏ Headache
❏ Muscle pain
❏ Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
❏ Fatigue
❏ Nasal congestion or runny nose

Families should download the Clear2 App (click here for instructions) and create accounts for each student in order to quickly monitor the above daily symptoms and risks. Students who exhibit any of the above symptoms on the bus ride to school or when they arrive on campus, will not be permitted to stay on campus.

Dress Code

We recognize that the health-related changes to our school day, including the requirement of face masks, may be a distraction to some students. Dress Codes in all three Divisions will be relaxed for the 2020-2021 School Year, to permit flexibility and comfort of our learning community. The Divisions will clarify specific regulations, but in general, expect students to be able to wear comfortable, often Rutgers Prep-branded clothing that is in good condition and suitable for weather conditions.

Early Birds/After School Program

To accommodate the safety measure of keeping Lower School students in cohorts, we will not be offering Early Birds or the After School Program to begin the school year. We will look at ways to bring back both programs when we feel mixing grade levels will be in the best interest of all our children and their families.

Arriving to Campus

Campus will open at 7:45am each day. Students should not arrive prior to 7:45am. Upon arrival to campus, students (as well as Faculty, Staff and all Visitors) will be directed to a Clear2 Kiosk or check-in location for temperature checks.

After check-in, Lower School students will go directly to their self-contained classroom, Middle School students will go directly to their Advisory, and Upper School students will go directly to their first band class. Upper School students in Grades 10, 11 and 12 may arrive at 9:20am on days when their first block is a Study Hall. On these days, students must sign in with Mrs. Ryan in the Upper School Office and then report to their Advisory Classroom.

Daily Schedule

The Middle School and Upper School have made adjustments to the current schedule. The adjusted schedule will work on a two-week rotation of odd and even days:

This rotation will provide an odd/even balance in which students will never have the same class two days in a row, providing a buffer day to manage coursework. It will also provide a framework in which students will have a maximum of five classes per day, minimizing student movement through hallways during passing time.

Locker Use

Middle School and Upper School students will not have access to lockers in the main buildings, and there will be no entrance allowed to the Field House locker rooms. This protocol will shorten the passing time by students between classes and reduce close interactions. Please make sure that students have a backpack suitable for carrying their necessary daily books and materials.

Upper School Lounge

Students are not permitted to be in the Lounge prior to 8:20am or during Community Time.

Morning Meetings

The tradition of Morning Meetings at Rutgers Prep is an important one, providing public speaking practice and leadership opportunities, and fostering the bonds of the school community. While physically gathering a Division together is not currently possible, we are extending the spirit of Morning Meeting as follows:

In the Middle School, students will hear Morning Meeting announcements during extended time with Advisory Groups.

In the Upper School, Morning Meeting will be projected, via zoom, to all Advisory Classrooms. Morning Meeting will occur every school day, including Thursdays. Students who wish to make announcements will report to the Upper School Lounge, and when finished will report to Advisory Classrooms.

Movement in Buildings

Most hallways and internal stairways will be designated one-way. In the Middle School and Upper School, hallway adjustments have been made to provide directional access to or from each classroom, stairway and building.

Technology on Campus

We will expect all students to be mindful of the bandwidth they use for personal reasons during the school day. Students may not stream or download video on campus, nor engage in other high bandwidth activities. It is vital that our Wi-Fi network and internet bandwidth is available for videoconferencing technologies that will allow Dual Instruction in our Middle School and Upper School classrooms.

Please make sure students arrive on campus with fully charged devices and remain mindful of their battery level during the day. Parents may want to invest in a rechargeable power bank for students to carry with them during the day.

Please note that we are not allowing students to print on campus to avoid gatherings around printers. Whenever possible, teachers will be accepting homework digitally and providing materials digitally.

Lunch

We are pleased to partner with SAGE, our dining services provider, to continue to serve healthy, tasty, and nutritious daily lunches to all students, regardless of dietary restrictions.

Lower School students will have lunches delivered to their classrooms, where they will eat with their classmates. Parents and students will be able to pre-order lunch preferences each Wednesday for the following week.

Middle School students will eat lunch with Advisory Groups, in Baldwin Hall and outdoors when weather permits. Parents and students will be able to pre-order lunch preferences each Wednesday for the following week.

Upper School students will eat in assigned groups during three time slots in the Dining Commons and outside at picnic tables, weather permitting. Buffets and self-serve stations in the Dining Common will be removed. Students will have a number of grab-n-go options from which to choose. Time for cleaning and disinfecting the Dining Commons between groups is built into the schedule.

Seniors will not be permitted to leave campus for lunch.

End of Day

Lower School students in Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten will be dismissed at 2:20 pm. Students in Grades 1 through 5 will be dismissed at 2:30pm.

Middle School students may leave campus at the end of academic instruction at 2:20pm or remain until 3:05pm if they choose to attend Physical Education Class. Students not being picked up at 2:20pm must attend Physical Education Class.

Upper School students in Grades 9, 10 and 11 who are not enrolled in 9th Period Music or Dance Ensembles will attend Study Halls in their Advisory Classroom. Seniors who are not enrolled in 9th Period Music or Dance Ensembles will be dismissed for the day at 2:20pm. Seniors will not be assigned to 9th Period Study Halls.

All students must be picked up by 3:30pm in order to provide sufficient time to appropriately clean and prepare campus for the next day.

At Home

Please make sure to fully recharge all electronic devices before the next school day. The opportunity for students to utilize charging stations on campus will be limited and may not always be possible.

When off campus, students and families are expected to limit their attendance at gatherings, events, and other activities to those where social distancing guidelines can be maintained, in order to minimize the risk of exposing faculty, staff, and other students to the COVID-19 virus. Families and students are expected to practice and reinforce good hygiene practices at home and avoid unnecessary travel.

Innovations

Innovations curriculum for Middle School and Upper School Students will be tabled for the 2020-2021 School Year, in an effort to reduce the number of and size of student gatherings.

Upper School Clubs

Clubs are an important part of the Upper School day. Clubs will be encouraged to meet outside, weather permitting, during Community Time, after school before 3:30pm, and in the evenings via electronic meetings. On campus, clubs will be allowed to meet in areas inside that can accommodate the numbers needed. Student club leaders and faculty moderators will communicate with the Upper School Assistant Principals to reserve appropriately sized spaces.

Athletics

In accordance with NJSIAA and State of New Jersey guidelines, Rutgers Prep will not commence practice of Fall Sports until at least September 14. The earliest possible dates for competition are September 28 for Girls Tennis and October 1 for all other sports.