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Reopening

Over fifty years of leading lives of passion and purpose.
 

Definitions

List of 5 items.

  • Close Contact

    Greater than 10-15 minutes within 6 feet of an individual suspected or positive for COVID-19, starting from 48 hours before symptoms onset (for an asymptomatic COVID-19 person, 48 hours before testing)

  • COVID-19 Positive

    A person has had a Positive COVID-19 test from one of the two following approved tests:
    • Positive RT-PCR COVID-19 (molecular test) or
    • Quidel Sofia antigen test conducted within 5 days of symptom onset

  • Isolation

    Refers to separation of people who are ill and have the potential to infect those around them. 
    • If a Derryfield community member is has tested positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms associated with COVID-19, the individual will need to stay home from school and isolate for 10 days from the onset of symptoms AND must be 1 day without symptoms and fever-free (without fever-reducing meds) before returning to school. The individual must be asymptomatic at the end of quarantine to return. 
    • If test results of a symptomatic individual are negative for COVID-19 using one of the approved testing methods, AND the person’s symptoms are improving and is fever-free for at least 24 hours off any fever-reducing medications, the individual may return to school.

  • Pooled Testing

    Pooled testing gathers samples from 2-24 individuals and combines them into one sample to test. This limits the need for unnecessary individual testing and prioritizes further testing of only positive pools. Each pool is tested and if a pool tests positive, those 24 samples are paired and the 12 paired samples are then tested to identify which pair or pairs have a positive result. Whichever pair or pairs test positive are then run in a third round to determine which individual test is positive. For more detailed information on Pooled Testing click here.

  • Quarantine

    A practice used to separate a well person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease to see if they become ill.
    • If a Derryfield community member has had close contact (Greater than 10-15 minutes within 6 feet of an individual suspected or positive for COVID-19) with an individual suspected or positive for COVID-19 starting from 48 hours before symptoms onset. (For an asymptomatic COVID-19 person, 48 hours before testing), the close contact will be required to stay home from school and self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of last contact. 
    • If a Derryfield community member has traveled in the prior 14 days outside of New England (outside of NH, VT, ME, MA, CT, RI)  they will be required to stay home from school and self-quarantine for 14 days from the last date of travel.
    • Individuals who are asymptomatic close contacts or who have traveled outside of New England cannot test out of 14 day self-quarantine.

Key Contacts

List of 6 items.

New Testing & COVID-19 Protocols

Return to Campus: Pooled Testing & De-densification
We successfully completed 11 weeks of on-campus learning this fall due to our data-driven safety protocols and your partnership. As we emerge from our “Prudent/Family Phase” the COVID-19 landscape has changed. In consultation with Fusion Cell, we are confident that we can safely return to campus on January 19 with two additional layers of protection: pooled saliva testing and de-densification of campus. 

What is pooled testing?
Pooled testing gathers samples from 2-24 individuals and combines them into one sample to test. This limits the need for unnecessary individual testing and prioritizes further testing of only positive pools. Each pool is tested and if a pool tests positive, those 24 samples are paired and the 12 paired samples are then tested to identify which pair or pairs have a positive result. Whichever pair or pairs test positive are then run in a third round to determine which individual test is positive. For more detailed information on Pooled Testing click here.

Why are we testing now?
Since we started on-campus learning in the fall, New Hampshire has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases. While the initial foundation of safety protocols implemented this fall (HEPA filters, improved HVAC system, social distancing, and universal masking) have been shown to limit the spread of COVID-19 within our community, we want to limit the risk of bringing COVID-19 to campus through asymptomatic individuals. Testing offers another layer to our existing layers of protection. As the COVID-19 numbers in New Hampshire continue to wax and wane, Derryfield will continue to re-evaluate our safety measures to ensure we are implementing the best protocols to maintain the safety of our community while offering in-person learning. 

Families who do not wish to have their child(ren) participate in pooled testing will be invited to continue remote learning for the remainder of the Winter term.

Important Dates:
Thursday, January 14
You will receive an email from The Derryfield School detailing the “Informed Consent to Test.” Parents/guardians must digitally sign this health form/consent to test in Magnus by Monday, January 18. If you have more than one student at DS, you must sign an agreement for each of your students.

Monday, January 18
You will receive an email reminder to digitally sign the “Informed Consent to Test” form on Magnus. This communication will also include a “How To” video that your student(s) will review on Tuesday, January 19 with their advisor or faculty member.

Tuesday, January 19
The daily Magnus Check-in APP will include a checkbox signifying you (as Parent/Guardian of student) have completed/approved the “Consent to Test” health form in Magnus.

Wednesday, January 20
Families who have not checked approval to test will be contacted by a Derryfield staff member.

Thursday, January 21
First Day of Pooled Testing
(Families who have not provided consent to test will be invited to learn remotely for the remainder of the Winter Term.)

We will continue to include important updates in weekly Nuts & Bolts (per Fall reopening protocol.)

Dr. Mary Halpin Carter’s January 7 Fireside Chat (which can be viewed here) clarifies Derryfield's plans for returning to school.

General Information

List of 9 items.

  • COVID-19 Hotline

    In our ongoing efforts to keep the Derryfield community safe, healthy, and informed, we have set up a secure hotline (and email account) that will allow us to address Covid-19 questions and concerns. Our school nurse, Lainee Shaughnessy and our Safety Director, Gillian Roberts, will field specific inquiries that come through this system and will return calls and emails in a timely manner. Both the phone line and the email address are provided below: 
     
    COVID Hotline: 603.621.5930 
    COVID Email: covid@derryfield.org

  • Guiding Principles

    Our goal is to return to campus for the 2020-21 school year in a healthy, risk-mitigated way with new routines and protocols. The guiding and organizing principles for the Reopening Plan make provision for:
    • The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff.
    • Derryfield-quality programming and courses, regardless of instructional modality.
    • On-campus learning as priority.
    • Synchronous learning as priority.
    • Consistent, division-specific schedules.
    • 100% Virtual Learning for families who prefer this option.
    • After-school programming for our families.
    • Transportation services.
    • Dining services (boxed lunches delivered to classrooms.)

  • Key Understandings

    • This is a monumentally stressful and disruptive time in history; and we should not expect to flip a switch back to “normal”;
    • There will be heightened attention to matters of wellness and public health which will impact our students, their families, and the format in which teaching and learning need to occur;
    • Various formal and informal forms of social distancing will continue; and
    • COVID-19 waves are predicted to cause future short-term, place-specific, stay-at-home orders for the foreseeable future.

  • Important to Know

    You can help ready your children for on-campus learning by beginning to implement the new procedures for school:
    • Daily temperature checks (Please make sure you have a working thermometer at home. If not, we recommend you purchase/place an order for one now as they are in high demand.)
    • Download the Magnus Mobile v2 App and watch the COVID-19 Daily Attestation parent tutorial
    • Incorporate handwashing breaks in your daily routine
    • Wear masks in public
    • Maintain 6’ social distancing in public
    • Do not travel outside of New England or use public transportation
    • Continue regular doctor visits and well-child appointments
    • Keep immunizations and physicals current
    • Encourage physical activity and time outside

  • Student Safety Protocols

    This is an addendum to The Derryfield All School Handbook, found on the resources tab of MSA.  

    Welcome back to school! In some ways, this year will feel familiar to you and in other ways, this will be a very different type of year due to Covid-19. We have incorporated new protocols here so that you can review them. These are largely health protocols that should be followed exactly as outlined in this document, so that you can remain healthy and on campus. If you cannot adhere to these critical safety guidelines, on-campus learning may not be an option for you. This year’s Derryfield core value is CARING. All of these guidelines and protocols have been constructed with CARING in mind to help keep everyone safe during this challenging time. 

    These guidelines may evolve as the health landscape changes over the course of the year. We will update you on changes, so please review all school communications carefully this year.

    As a Derryfield On-Campus Student you will: 
    • Report all MAGNUS information by 7:10 a.m. with your parents’ guidance. 
    • Wear DS-approved three-ply masks to school (you have received these masks during retreats) and when you are leaving campus (heading to sports practice, your car or the bus). Wear these masks all day except when taking a mask break outside with your teacher during class, study hall, or while eating lunch with the permission of an adult who remains present. 
    • Always maintain the six feet distance guideline when talking to or interacting with other students or teachers.
    • Stay in the seats to which you are assigned in any classroom or bus. 
    • Be in the supervised spaces where you are supposed to be during lunch, free periods, and after school.
    • Follow coaches’ instructions about safe practices during athletic activities. 
    • Do not use Netflix or gaming programs during the school day, or use anything that would slow down our network. Many students will be remote and your teachers will need the bandwidth to conduct classes. Downloading appropriate content on your phone or laptop before school begins is permissible. 
    • Adhere to appropriate behavior if you are learning from home for any period of time, as outlined in the guidelines shared by Assistant Head of School for Academics Lindley Shutz.

    Students who do not follow the protocol: 
    If it is discovered that a student is not adhering to the Derryfield Health and Safety guidelines, then this student will be considered for remote learning. Any student intentionally violating public safety guidelines will be recommended for disciplinary action, since this behavior may cause significant harm to other students and teachers. 

    Students and parents will be notified by the Dean of Students or the Division Head if the student is struggling to comply with the protocols listed above. A first offense will result in at least one day at home for remote learning. Another transgression will equate to remote learning for a longer time. A student with a second offense will learn remotely until a decision regarding the loss of on-campus learning privileges is made.

  • Daily Health Attestation

    On weekdays starting Monday, August 31, 2020, parents will have access to begin completing the Magnus Health COVID-19 Daily Screening for your student(s). You will access the screening via the button titled “COVID-19.” We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this daily screening, as it will be an imperative function of our safety protocols. All parents must submit the screening each morning for Derryfield no later than 7:10 a.m.
     
    RESOURCES:
    Download or update your Magnus app to the latest Version 20.08.26. For your reference and that of your parents, below are links to help guides for Apple and Google Play customers. 
     
    Step-by-step instructions for logging into Magnus app for the first time and filling out daily attestation
     

  • Bus Transportation

    In order to prioritize health and safety, the maximum number of students on each Derryfield bus/van has been significantly reduced, and limited to only those families who have purchased annual passes.
     
    Ordinarily we are able to offer more flexibility with our bus routes, allowing occasional bus riders, and students with annual passes to ride on any of our bus routes, on any given day.  This fall, due to COVID safety guidelines, all annual bus riders will be assigned a seat on one bus route only.  No other students will be allowed to ride the buses through the end of November.  This will help make sure that students stay socially distant while on the buses, and also allows us to more effectively perform contact tracing if necessary.
     
    In September, families who purchased annual bus passes received a letter and survey asking them to commit to either the early or late afternoon bus for the entire fall trimester.  After receiving feedback from parents, we reassessed this and revised the guidelines as follows:
    • Students on all bus routes except Bedford/Amherst can choose, on a daily basis, whether to ride the early or late afternoon bus.
    • Two important notes for families on the Bedford/Amherst route:
      • Due to the number of students on the Bedford/Amherst route, we still need students on that bus to choose the early or late afternoon bus, and stay with that decision (Monday through Friday) for the entire fall trimester. This is so we can be sure, for social distancing reasons, that we do not have too many students on either of the afternoon buses.  
      • The bus company with whom we contract for this route is not able to install hand sanitizers on the bus. Please make sure your child has sanitizer in his/her backpack and applies it just before getting on the bus. 
    Please note that the guidelines above are subject to change at any time. We will continue to evaluate our school bus transportation program, and welcome your feedback as students begin to ride the buses. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Questions related to busing can be directed to Deb Allen at deb.allen@derryfield.org.

  • Campus Traffic Flow

  • Grade-Level Entrances

    All students are dropped off at the rotary by A&W or park in the lots on the upper school side of campus and enter through grade-specific doors.
    • 6s - Connector doors closest to MS  
    • 7s - Outside room 18 - near side of McIninch Room
    • 8s - Outside room 10 - far side of McIninch Room
    • 9s - Connector doors closest to Lyceum  
    • 10s - End of health hallway 
    • 11s - Old gym entrance in front of building  
    • 12s - Front Lobby 

Pooled Testing FAQ

List of 18 items.

  • What is pooled testing?

    Pooled testing gathers samples from 2-24 individuals and combines them into one sample to test. This limits the need for unnecessary individual testing and prioritizes further testing of only positive pools. Each pool is tested and if a pool tests positive, those 24 samples are paired and the 12 paired samples are then tested to identify which pair or pairs have a positive result. Whichever pair or pairs test positive are then run in a third round to determine which individual test is positive.

  • What lab are we using for testing?

    Derryfield is working with Mirimus Clinical Labs for testing. Mirimus has partnered with several New England independent schools as well as the Wellesley Public School District for successful COVID-19 testing programs.

  • Are additional samples needed if a pool is positive?

    No! The shelf-life for saliva samples are 7 days and with 1 ml of saliva provided, the lab is able to complete all necessary testing. 

  • Why are we testing now?

    Since we started on-campus learning in the fall, New Hampshire has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitals are nearing capacity. While the initial foundation of safety protocols implemented this fall (HEPA filters, improved HVAC system, social distancing and universal masking) have been shown to limit the spread of COVID-19 within our community, we want to limit the risk of bringing COVID-19 to campus through asymptomatic individuals. Testing offers another layer to our existing layers of protection. As the COVID-19 numbers in New Hampshire continue to wax and wane, Derryfield will continue to re-evaluate our safety measures to ensure we are implementing the best protocols to maintain the safety of our community while offering in-person learning.

  • How often will testing take place and how are samples collected?

    Testing will take place weekly, on Thursday mornings. Samples are collected by each individual participant. With the provided sample collection kit, students will use the saliva straw to place their sample in the collection tube. Tubes will then be wiped off with the provided alcohol wipe and placed back in the tube bag.

  • What is included with the collection kit and how do you use it?



    Samples will then be picked up and sorted into testing pools. Samples are overnighted to the lab to be processed. 

  • How is privacy maintained?

    Samples provided to Mirimus will be identified via barcode. Our school nurse will be the only one who is aware of the true identity matched to the barcode. The only time a student’s identity is matched to the barcode is if a student’s sample yields a positive result. If your students tests positive, you will be contacted by Lainee Shaughnessy, school nurse, to walk you through the next steps needed to obtain individual results.

  • If my student is virtual but plays sports for Derryfield, will they get tested?

    Yes! Individuals who are coming on campus for classes, athletics, or work, or who are playing on Derryfield teams will get tested to limit risk. Testing for athletes who are virtual will be coordinated at practices by School Nurse Lainee Shaughnessy, Athletic Director Chris Hettler, and team coaches. There will not be an additional requirement for families to have students to come to campus outside of scheduled practice times.

  • My child has had COVID-19 within the last 90 days and there is a chance they will test positive within that time frame, despite not being contagious. Will they have to be tested?

    Students who have been positive within less than 90 days of test administration, will not be a part of pooled testing to avoid potential false positive results. If you have not done so already, please reach out to our School Nurse, Lainee Shaughnessy so she can ensure that our record of positive tests is accurate. All testing information provided to us will remain confidential.

  • How many COVID-19 cases within the school will cause the school to go back to 100% virtual learning?

    While it is likely we will have positive tests turn up through the implementation of pooled testing, Derryfield will continue to look at the risk and potential of community spread. Our Nurse, Lainee Shaughnessy, willbegin contact tracing as soon as a positive result is received to determine potential exposures and advise a proper quarantine and additional testing guidance to those who are considered close contacts. The decision to move to virtual learning will depend on several factors, including the number of Covid-positive individuals, whether there has been school-based transmission, and Covid and hospitalization rates in our community.

  • How accurate is this test?

    Saliva pooled testing through Mirimus Clinical labs is between 95-97% accurate. Through quality control testing, Mirimus has shown that saliva testing is as sensitive in detecting COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals as compared to traditional nasopharyngeal testing, while being a less-invasive method for sample collection.

  • Is there a cost associated with getting our students tested?

    There is a cost for testing, but this cost will not be passed on to our families, faculty, or staff.

  • How will tests be administered?

    Tests will be administered in the beginning of the school day on Thursdays and be sent to the lab in the afternoon.

  • If we are testing students, why do we need to continue practicing the other safety measures that have been implemented on campus?

    Our existing protocols (screening, masking, social distancing) are designed to prevent school-based transmission of Covid-19, and are still necessary. The addition of testing is meant to supplement the safety precautions, rather than to replace them. While testing weekly is a positive addition in reducing the risk to those on campus, it is not a perfect system.

  • What days are we planning to test?

    While the specific days may change as we begin to implement testing, the following days will be designated testing days: 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18. After the conclusion of our winter term, Derryfield will re-evaluate the need for testing when we return after our spring break/virtual learning period.

  • What if my student who is attending on-campus classes cannot be on campus the morning of testing?

    If you know your student will not be on campus on the day of testing or will not be present in the morning during collection, please have your student arrange with our School Nurse, Lainee Shaughnessy, to have the test collected on Wednesday afternoon before they leave school.

  • Are there any restrictions or guidelines to follow the morning of test collection?

    For optimal results, the testing company guidelines recommend no eating, drinking, vaping, or smoking within 30 minutes of providing the sample. Additionally, please do not use mouthwash within two hours of sample collection.

  • How will I be notified if my student’s test was positive?

    As soon as we receive notification, School Nurse Lainee Shaughnessy will reach out to families to notify parents of their student’s positive result. She will review isolation directions for your student, assist with quarantine guidelines for your families, and answer any additional questions you may have.

Schedule & Calendar

List of 5 items.

  • Orientation & Safety Training

    Returning to campus is going to look and feel different from a typical school year, with many new safety precautions and procedures in place. Orientation sessions and grade-level retreats for students will include health and safety procedure training to familiarize students with new procedures. 
    Orientation and safety procedures training will include:
    • Arrival and dismissal procedures and expectations
    • Entering and exiting classrooms and buildings
    • Passing time social distancing
    • Materials use/Library
    • Lunches and snacks
    • Outdoor breaks
    • Healthy hygiene practices
    • Transportation

  • Daily Schedule


  • Schedule Details

    What will feel familiar?
    • We will continue to alternate between even and odd days.
    • Students will have four academic blocks each day.
    • Students will have engaging classes and activities, whether learning at school or at home.
    What will be different?
    • Classes will be 75 minutes long and there will be breaks in between each class (to allow for cleaning, bio breaks, outdoor breaks, airing out of classrooms, and staggering traffic through hallways.)
    • Students will eat lunch in classrooms; more information will be shared soon about ordering lunch through Celebrations as an option for families.
    • Middle school students will remain in one to three cohorts per day, minimizing the transmission of viral particles.
    • Minimizing cohorts in the upper school had such a significant detrimental impact on our program and the ability to provide appropriate classes for students that we chose not to create upper school cohorts. Masks and other protocols will be crucial in keeping students and faculty safe.
    • Free blocks and extra help periods will be supervised. Large communal spaces will have other uses because it will be unsafe to have large group gatherings this fall.
    • Advisory, Community meeting, and LEAD will be part of the academic schedule. We will not be able to safely offer Explorations electives this year, but through community meeting, LEAD, and advisory time, we will have fun, games, connection time, and virtual major activities.

  • Winter Family Phase

    During the winter trimester, we will enter a Family Phase, a time to visit with friends and family and to quarantine as necessary.
    • Campus will close at Thanksgiving and remain closed until January 19. 
    • Thanksgiving vacation and Winter Break will be time off as usual.
    • Classes will be taught virtually for the weeks between the two vacations and the two weeks after New Year’s Day. Students will return to on campus learning on Tuesday, January 19.
    • This design will allow for family travel and visiting and also to quarantine before and after your visits to keep your loved ones and Derryfield community members safe. 

  • Spring Break

    We have combined February and March breaks to allow people time to visit with friends and family and to quarantine as necessary.
    • Campus will close on February and remain closed until March 22. 
    • February 22-March 7 is vacation time with no school restrictions.
    • March 7-14 is a Prudent Week, in which all employees and any students wishing to return to on-campus learning on March 22 must follow state travel guidelines.
    • March 15-19 is a Virtual Learning Week, with all classes being taught virtually.
    • Students who have followed state travel guidelines since March 7 will return to on campus learning on Monday, March 22.
    • This design will allow for family travel and visiting while also quarantining before return to campus to keep Derryfield community members safe. 

Commitment to Community Health

List of 11 items.

  • Honor Pledge

    We are in this together! In order for us to continue with on-campus learning, we are asking all families to follow our health and safety protocols. Please avoid travel and situations that increase your family’s exposure.

    Derryfield’s core values of caring, community and family will serve as our guiding light—health and safety guidelines will enable us to reopen, and our standards will be higher than those the governor unveiled. We will go into the year with a spirit of optimism, and also the understanding that school will look and feel different and things will not always be easy. We ask our students and families to enter into a covenant for the year—an agreement to strictly follow school-prescribed health guidelines and safety protocols. Students who do not follow the guidelines will be required to attend school virtually. 
    • Any student, faculty, or staff who have symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home from school for 10 days from the onset of symptoms and fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication (such as Tylenol). 
    • Symptoms of COVID-19 include the following: Fever, or feeling feverish, respiratory symptoms (such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath), muscle aches, chills, severe fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea), and/or changes in a person’s sense of taste or smell. Students should stay home if they are symptomatic.

  • Daily Symptoms Check Using App

    On weekdays starting Monday, August 31, 2020, parents will have access to begin completing the Magnus Health COVID-19 Daily Screening for your student(s). You will access the screening via the button titled “COVID-19.” We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this daily screening, as it will be an imperative function of our safety protocols. All parents must submit the screening each morning for Derryfield no later than 7:10 a.m.
     
    RESOURCES:
    Download or update your Magnus app to the latest Version 20.08.26. For your reference and that of your parents, below are links to help guides for Apple and Google Play customers. 
     
    Step-by-step instructions for logging into Magnus app for the first time and filling out daily attestation
     

  • Keeping the School Informed

    The Magnus App includes questions about exposure and quarantine. Use this to report possible exposure, quarantine, and testing to the school. Keeping the school informed of any known exposure and symptoms is critically important in keeping our students, faculty and staff, and community safe and healthy.

  • Mask Policy

    • Derryfield will provide five 3-ply Derryfield logo cloth masks to each student (billed to their Student Account). To avoid inconsistencies with the quality of masks, the Derryfield logo masks will be the only cloth face masks acceptable for students, faculty, and staff to wear at school.
    • Students, faculty and staff must be wearing a mask when they arrive at school.
    • Students will not be allowed on Derryfield buses without a face mask.
    • Masks will be worn at all times when inside the buildings, with the exception of a mask break while seated 6 feet apart at lunchtime.
    • Masks will be worn when outside, unless students or adults are taking a mask break and are 6 feet apart.
    • Derryfield has a limited supply of single-use face coverings in case a student’s mask is made unwearable during the course of the school day.
    • Bandanas, handmade masks, masks with exhaust valves, and gaiters are not permitted.
    • Parents are responsible for cleaning student’s masks.

  • New Procedures

    All aspects of the school day have been examined to identify ways we can reduce possible transmission of the virus. Some of these new procedures are classroom-specific, but others apply to the school as a whole. New procedures include:
    • Arrival to campus.
    • Outdoor instruction opportunities will be maximized.
    • Virtual Learning is available for anyone who is feeling ill, is a close contact of someone suspected of having or positive for COVID-19, or is under quarantine.
    • Thorough nightly cleaning and disinfecting.
    • Deep clean procedures as needed.
    • Frequent daily cleaning of high traffic/touch surfaces, e.g., door handles, bathroom faucets
    • Classroom cleaning procedures established in individual classrooms. All include disinfecting high-use surfaces before and after use.
    • Handwashing breaks are incorporated into the daily schedule in each classroom.

  • Travel Guidelines

    We strongly discourage students from traveling outside of New England. If this travel is necessary, please contact Jed Silverstein or Mark Blaisdell to make arrangements for quarantining and learning virtually for 14 days before returning to campus.

  • Travel Team Guidelines

    The following requirements need to be met in order for your child to participate in a club/travel or town program and still be allowed to participate in on-campus instruction:
    • Travel for your club program must be limited to New England (based on current COVID-19 rates in these states and subject to change depending on infection rates throughout the school year.).
    • Practices and games occur no more than three per week (contact sports). 
    • Practices and games occur no more than four per week (non-contact sports). 
    • Parents take responsibility for vetting the policies and procedures of the club team, ensuring that at a minimum, they are enforcing the Amateur and Youth Sports reopening guidelines from the state of NH.
    If your student athlete is participating in a club program, please submit the following form as soon as possible. ***Upon completion of the form, please email Chris Hettler (chettler@derryfield.org) to notify him of a request.

  • Mental Health & Wellness

    The School Counselor will be available to meet with students and parents via google meet during the school day, during a student’s free block or during break times. Private space will be provided for students to use during these meetings. Students and parents can email Mary Perkins at mperkins@derryfield.org or Courtney Cheetham at ccheetham@derryfield.org to schedule a meeting, or to talk by phone as needed. On campus mental health supports include the student’s individual advisor, and Reina Stimpson, Dean of Students. Derryfield is also planning to have an on campus Assistant School Counselor available as an in-person support, and more information about this will be shared soon.

  • Becoming Ill at School

    Sadly, we are likely to have members of the community contract the virus. Should a person become sick at school, the following will occur:

    The nurse will separate anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 in a private room until they can leave campus. Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 is advised to contact their healthcare provider and be tested for COVID-19.

  • Testing Positive for COVID-19

    If someone in our community tests positive for COVID-19, the NH Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) will work with the school to begin the process of contact tracing.
    • Public health will conduct a detailed investigation to identify people who may have been in “close contact” with a student or staff member diagnosed with COVID-19 during their infectious period. 
    • As part of the public health investigation, investigators seek to identify close contacts starting two days before the person became symptomatic or tested positive for COVID-19 (if asymptomatic). 
    • “Close contact” for the purposes of the public health investigation in New Hampshire is defined as a person being within six feet of the individual diagnosed with COVID-19 during their infectious period for 10 minutes or longer. Depending on individual circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, public health may identify other individuals considered at risk for exposure. 
    • Any person who is identified as a close contact or at risk for exposure to COVID-19 based on the public health investigation will be required to quarantine for 14 days from their last day of exposure. Depending on the specific circumstances, this may involve quarantine of only specific individuals (e.g., those sitting next to a person with COVID-19 in a classroom), but could include whole classes (depending on degree or likelihood of close contact, classroom size, age of students, etc.); this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis by public health. 

  • Quarantine

    The purpose of a quarantine is to reduce the spread of COVID-19. If your child is quarantined, but feels well, they may pivot to Virtual Learning.

Our Teaching & Learning Model

List of 3 items.

  • Guiding Principles

    Our commitment to The Derryfield School’s Mission is central to our pandemic planning and response. We are, therefore, focused on striking an appropriate balance which prioritizes academic excellence, safety, inclusivity, and wellness with the flexibility needed to adjust to an ever-changing situation.

    What will the classroom feel like?
    In order to meet the needs of our students, some students will be on campus while some students learn virtually from home. On campus, in order to provide 6 foot distancing, a class may be taught from two spaces: one day, some students will meet in one classroom, the mothership, while their classmates meet in another, the satellite space; the next day, the groups will switch. Teachers and teaching assistants can move between the spaces. Walls have been taken down in some of our smaller classrooms in order to create larger learning spaces.

    To aid in reaching students who are virtual, we will rely on a set number of familiar tech tools: Google Suite, MSA, and Zoom for video conferencing. In addition, we have invested significantly in technology, and our classrooms will be newly outfitted with cameras, screens, and microphones so that students learning virtually can see and be seen. One camera on the teacher and their work at the board or demonstrating, one camera on their classmates activities, and additional monitors will present the faces and interactions of virtual learners. 

    For virtual learners and students in satellite spaces, teachers will meet synchronously and take attendance at the beginning of each class. Teachers will also record critical content and post where and when to find recordings. 

    If a teacher becomes ill or needs to teach remotely, we will have teaching assistants and substitutes to provide continuity of learning. We have two “permanent substitute” teachers on staff.

  • Teaching & Learning Technologies

    Classrooms will be outfitted with technology that will allow remote students to engage in real time. This model has been proven in the past as it mimics the Derryfield Malone Schools Online Network (MSON) Model. The meeting platform we will be using for live streaming the classes will be Zoom. In conjunction with Zoom, we will be using 32” HD TVs in each room. These HD TVs will be outfitted with a computer, microphone, & HD WebCam to capture the live experience of the classroom and allow for real time interaction. Our faculty will also utilize their laptop webcam to join in on the meeting to show any information either on the classroom whiteboards or present their screen to the class. Beyond the new technology brought into the classrooms for live streaming our classes, we will continue to utilize MSA & Google Classroom.

  • Guidelines for Online Learning

    Derryfield has developed a set of guidelines intended to help students who are off campus understand how to learn effectively in this new mode of remote learning. This is a new experience for everyone; it will be full of challenges and discoveries! Please don't be afraid to let us know when something isn’t working, when you need clarification, and when you discover something and things are going well.

Program Details

List of 5 items.

  • Student Life & Community Block

    What will happen during Community Block? 
    Advisories
    LEAD
    Community Meeting
    Activities (i.e. Robotics)

    Community Meeting
    In past years, each Monday morning, we have gathered in the auditorium to connect and build our sense of individual and collective belonging through attending our all-school Community Meeting (CM). This year, we will continue this tradition and live our core value of belonging through live streaming our Community Meetings during Day 2 community block. Community Meeting presenters will share their announcements, This I Believe speeches, team accomplishments, and much more from the auditorium’s stage and then through our state-of-the-art technology, we will live stream the CMs to all the advisories that will be gathered together in classrooms across campus. For students who are joining Derryfield online, they can login to their advisor’s Google Meet to experience the CM in real time or watch the recorded CM that we will post on Derryfield's YouTube page. Any community member who wishes to present at Community Meeting this year should contact Diane Hotten-Somers at dhotten-somers@derryfield.org.

    Advisory
    Advisories will be held on campus, in-person weekly during Community Block. Advisors will remain an important source of help and guidance to students, and the first point of contact for families if they have questions. Remote learners will either be assigned advisors who are also remote or will be asked to zoom into advisory meetings on campus. Advisory meetings for international students will be optional.

  • Athletics

    Will the Athletic & Wellness Center be open for use?
    Yes, with modifications and new procedures to keep students and faculty safe while engaging in some activities in and out of the building. A list of approved activities and guidelines will be coming soon.

    Will the two-sport requirement be waived for the 20-21 academic year?
    The two-sport requirement will be modified to give students flexibility around how they complete their physical activity requirements each week. Students will have the option to participate in school-based activities or work out on their own with the guidance of a parent or trainer who will need to sign off on their hours of completion.

    Will students have access to the locker rooms?
    Students will not have access to lockers including those in the middle school, upper school and Athletic & Wellness Center.

  • Arts

    Will all of the visual arts courses listed in the 20-21 curriculum guide be offered?
    Ceramics has been cancelled for winter term. This class will be replaced with a section of Graphic Design and a section of 2D Mixed Media, both taught by Becky Barsi.

    Will there be musicals, concerts, plays?
    For the 20-21 academic year, there will be no choir, concerts, or musicals. Plays will be adapted to a film/cinematic format.

    Will Choir be held this year?
    For the 20-21 academic year, Choir will not be offered.

  • College Counseling

    The College Counseling office will continue to work individually with students and families to support their college search and application experience. Brennan Barnard and Jill Teeters will be available for Zoom meetings and will be sharing daytime and evening office hours with families as the academic year begins. We will also be holding remote class meetings and parent webinars/meetings to keep families updated on application details and changes.

    We will continue to host college admission representatives remotely through Zoom and students will be instructed as to how they can sign up for these sessions in SCOIR.

    College essay work will be built into the weekly schedule for students to work remotely with their cohort and a member of the English faculty or college counseling office.

    We are monitoring the standardized testing changes and availability and will continue to update families as the fall progresses.

  • After-School Study Hall

    Starting at dismissal at 2:45 p.m., students staying after school and not participating in athletics or activities will attend a supervised study hall in the Athletics & Wellness Center, consistent with school safety guidelines. Students may attend the study hall until campus closes at 6 p.m.

Other Details

List of 4 items.

  • Food Services

    Students will eat lunch in classrooms. Each trimester, families must indicate their child(ren) ‘s lunch preference: to purchase a boxed lunch through Celebrations that will be delivered to the classroom or to bring lunch from home.

  • Transportation

    BUSES
    Students on buses will be prescreened, masked, and as distanced as they can be; however, that distance might not be 6 feet on some buses and we know ventilation on buses isn’t to the standard of the classroom environment. As a result, if a student or driver gets the virus, the whole bus group will be quarantined. Afternoon buses will depart campus at 2:45 and 4:30 p.m. (If you would like to reconsider your bus plan, contact Deb Allen at     deb.allen@derryfield.org.) If you have questions pertaining to bus safety protocol, please contact Alex Vazquez at avazquez@derryfield.org.

    CARPOOLING
    We strongly encourage that families to drive to and from school carpool within their family unit. However, we understand this is not always possible. Those carpooling with people outside of their home must wear masks at all times and sanitize their hands before-and-after exiting the carpool vehicle. Note: if your family plans to carpool, please inform either Andrea Stevenson or Diane Wall so that we can use this information should contact tracing be necessary.

  • Cleaning Protocols

    • Daily classroom, hallway and bathroom cleaning
    • High touch areas will be disinfected every two hours

  • Campus Signage

    Health guidelines signage will be placed throughout campus:
    • Safe distancing floor markers 
    • Healthy Derryfield posters
    • Proper Handwashing signage (in all restrooms)
    • Face Mask Reminder signs
    • Enter / Exit / one-way signs
    • Directional arrows
    • Max capacity signage for classrooms
    • Max capacity signage for common areas
    • Entrance signs listing Mandatory Mask Policy
    • Plexi shields for reception areas

FAQs

List of 8 items.

  • How will advisory be held?

    Advisories will be held on campus, in-person weekly during Community Block. Advisors will remain an important source of help and guidance to students, and the first point of contact for families if they have questions. Remote learners will either be assigned advisors who are also remote or will be asked to zoom into advisory meetings on campus. Advisory meetings for international students will be optional.

  • My family carpools with two other families. What precautions should we take?

    This year, we encourage families to travel separately/within the same family unit. If this is not possible, all people within the vehicle should wear face masks and wash hands thoroughly upon arrival at school. Please alert administration if you plan to carpool this year so that we may keep a record, should tracing be necessary.

  • What do I do if a household member tests positive for COVID-19?

    Please email Lainee Shaughnessy, our school nurse, right away (lshaughnessy@derryfield.org)! If someone (other than the Derryfield student) living in your household tests positive for COVID-19, we rely on families to let us know about this.  The NH DHHS (NH Department of Health and Human Services) does not notify us about students who are considered close contacts. For example, if a student's dad tests positive for Covid, the student will be considered a close contact, but we will only know this through your good communication with us-we will not receive any information from DHHS.  

    Why is this important?
    - We will ask your child to switch to virtual learning right away. Depending on the individual circumstances, household members who are close contacts may be required by NH DHHS to quarantine for up to 10 to 24 days. If your child is required to quarantine, we will work with you to make sure your child can learn virtually until they can safely return to campus.
    -As always, if you are dealing with a serious illness in your family, it is helpful for us to know so that we can help support your child.

  • What will happen during Community Block?

    Advisory and Advisory Connect activities, community meeting, activities, LEAD, and study hall (for middle school students).

  • Will masks be provided for students?

    Students will be charged $20 to their school account for Derryfield-issued, 3-ply, fabric masks. Should a student lose or damage these, another mask order will be placed in late fall. It is important that the masks our students, faculty and staff wear adhere to Fusion Cell safety standards.

  • Will there be “Mask Breaks”?

    Yes. Outdoor mask breaks will be worked into students’ schedules, as well as indoors during lunchtime.

  • Will there be Delayed Opening Days?

    The 20-21 academic year will not include Delayed Opening days.

  • Will visitors, volunteers, and food delivery people be allowed on campus?

    No. There will be no outside visitors to campus during the school day unless they are key to the function of the school.

The Derryfield School

2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104     p: 603.669.4524     f: 603.625.9715
Located in Manchester, NH,  The Derryfield School is a private day school for grades 6-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.