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:
Week 1 | Monday Day 1 | Tuesday Day 2 | Wednesday Day 3 | Thursday Day 4 | Friday Day 5 |
Week 2 | Monday Day 6 | Tuesday Day 7 | Wednesday Day 8 | Thursday Day 3 | Friday Day 4 |
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.