Planning for 2020-21

The new 2020–21 academic calendar will provide the school and our families the flexibility to respond quickly and with minimal disruption to changing circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than taking five or five-and-a-half courses per trimester as was the case in our schedule for 2019–20, our students will take two or three courses in each of six intensive five-week terms. This calendar is the same for students taking courses online and in person.

Whether students are on campus or online, the daily schedule will include face-to-face synchronous instruction time (in person or via Zoom) in small sections of students, structured asynchronous learning, virtual community gatherings, advisor meetings, wellness programming, open office hours for faculty and students to meet, and other supports that will maximize our students’ learning. All students will take two to three courses per term. Students engaged in distance learning will have schedules designed to work for the times zones in which they are living.

Master Schedule: This document shows the two weeks of our daily schedule. The times represented on this schedule are times at Loomis. You will see the schedule shows four course blocks (B1, B2, B3, B4) during the morning and afternoon, community time/lunch blocks in the middle of the day, and one course block and community time block each evening. The evening course blocks (B5 and B6) are for online learners in a wide range of time zones. Please note that all on-campus synchronous classes are 70 minutes, except on Wednesdays when they are 60 minutes. All evening distance learning synchronous classes are also 70 minutes. Synchronous and asynchronous class meetings for both in-person and distant learners alternate every other day.

Sample On-Campus Schedule: This sample schedule shows a ninth-grade student enrolled in three courses for Fall Term I: World History, French I, and Biology. This new student is also enrolled in a daily study hall. This schedule will also work for distance learners in the Eastern time zone in the United States.

Sample Distance Learning Schedule: This sample schedule is for a ninth-grade student in Beijing, China. The times listed reflect the time in Beijing. For Fall Term I this student is enrolled in English I, World History, and Chemistry. This student will be taking French during their first year at Loomis but is not enrolled in that class this particular term. To help them maintain their French language during the terms they are not enrolled in French, they will participate in a French tutorial once a week during the community time block.

For a distance learner on the West Coast of the United States, the school will create a schedule that  will utilize block B3, B4, B5, and B6 depending on the classes the student is taking. Please refer to the master schedule above to see when those classes are offered, Eastern time zone times. (A sample schedule for a student in California will be available soon.)

Sample Year Schedule: This document shows a sample ninth-grade student’s course schedule over the year’s six terms. Year-long courses are taken every other term for three terms. This particular student is enrolled in World History, French I, and Biology in terms Fall I, Winter I, and Spring I. They are enrolled in English I and Algebra II Advanced in terms Fall II, Winter II, and Spring II. Students who have terms where they only have two courses will also enroll in one of many non-credit wellness courses offered. For this student, they are enrolled in Cardio/Fitness in Fall Term II, Yoga in Winter Term II, and Trail Walking/Jogging in Spring Term II. Note: In terms the student is not enrolled in their language (French) course, they will participate in a once a week language tutorial. Finally, all traditional half courses have been converted to term courses with the exception of music and dance ensemble courses which will meet every term. So a student enrolled in the orchestra will have that class on their schedule every term.

Under the current reopening plan, dormitories will not reopen in Fall Term I, which means all boarding students (except those that choose to commute) will be online for at least the first term of the year. The school has designed a distance learning program to meet the needs of these students and any day students who are unable to return to campus because of health concerns. This program also will be used should circumstances related to the pandemic require us to close campus and move all students to a distance learning format. For more information about the distance learning program, please refer to the FAQs below for Fall Term I online students.

Loomis has designed the hybrid academic program so that each class is designed for either face-to-face instruction or online instruction. So if you are an online student, your classes will be with just other online students. If you are on campus in a face-to-face classroom, your classes will be with only fellow students on campus. We made this decision deliberately recognizing that trying to teach students who are in a classroom and students who are online at the same time doesn't serve either group of students well. Only in very rare circumstances will a class have a mix of students who are in the classroom and online.

While the school decided to go to a pass/fail system for this past spring term, we will return to our traditional grading system in the fall. The same grading system will apply to both in-person and online classes.

Creating a rich and connected community life for all our students is as important to us as delivering an excellent academic program. Under the leadership of our Student Life team and in collaboration with student leaders and offices and faculty across campus including coaches, the theater and dance programs, community service, and student clubs and organizations, we will deliver a student life program that enables new and returning, online and on-campus students to connect with each in meaningful and fun ways.

• Community time has been built into the daily schedule on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. That time can and will be used in a variety of ways including club meetings, all-school convocations, advisor meetings, faculty office hours, and more.
• Students will connect with their advisors often and in meaningful ways. Students will meet with their advisory group on Thursdays and will have other opportunities to meet individually on a regular basis.
• Student Activities will work with students to plan special events and weekend activities that will be inclusive of both online and on-campus students.
• Traditional afternoon activities including athletics, theater, and community service will be offered for all.
• Boarding students learning online for Fall Term I will still connect with their dorm and assigned pod throughout the term for virtual social events.
• A series of wellness classes/activities from meditation to yoga will be available to online and on-campus students.
   

Working in conjunction with the Norton Family Center for the Common Good, we have designed an advisory curriculum that aims to deepen community. Every student will meet with their advisor group at least once a week during a designated time. Ninth-grade students will be placed with specialized advisors who will be able to assist in their transition to high school. The rest of our students will continue to build strong relationships with their assigned advisor and engage in weekly structured conversations.

Loomis Chaffee’s counseling staff will continue to provide counseling and support services for all our students. All students also will participate in healthy living seminars offered throughout the class day, including mindfulness and yoga. The school has also contracted with Lynn Lyons, an international speaker and psychotherapist who works with children, families, and educators as they deal with worry and anxiety. Ms. Lyons will talk with faculty before the school year begins and with parents shortly thereafter. She will be available to the school throughout the year as we navigate these challenging times together. 

All day students and boarders who can commute to campus are welcomed and encouraged to return for in-person classes during Fall Term I.

Yes. Day students who prefer to learn online during Fall Term I can elect to do so. 

All parents will be asked to complete an online form regarding their plans for the first term. This form will be sent to families on August 6, and we ask that it be submitted by August 10. Day students who wish to be online and boarders who will commute can indicate this on the form. 

Yes. All students attending classes on campus during Fall Term I will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within seven days before registration. Families are responsible for this initial test.

Within 10–14 days after classes begin, we plan to retest all community members who are participating in classes on campus; the school will provide and administer that test to all students, faculty, and staff. Additional testing may be required throughout the school year based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local and state health departments, best practices for residential schools and colleges, and the needs of our school.

All students, faculty, and staff who are on campus will answer a series of questions about symptoms related to COVID-19 every day. They may not attend classes or other school activities or come to work if they are symptomatic or have been in recent contact with anyone testing positive for COVID-19 or awaiting test results.

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks on campus. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating or given permission by a faculty member. Community members also will be required to practice social distancing.

Yes, students will need to provide their own two- to three- layered cloth masks. Students are advised to have enough masks to wear daily and rotate between laundering. Please review this video on how to wear a mask. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciUniZGD4tY 

Any student ― day or commuting boarder ― who has returned from or come from a state that Connecticut has listed on its travel advisory list must quarantine for 14 days before coming to campus. Please plan accordingly and begin your quarantine no later August 17.

All students who will be on campus for Fall Term I and their parents will be required to sign a code of conduct. Students who violate the code may be required to complete the term online. We will send this document to families the week of August 10.

New and returning students who will be on campus for in-person classes in Fall Term I will come to campus for registration on Monday, August 31. New students will also have an on-campus orientation that day. Classes begin for all students on Tuesday, September 1.

Yes. All new students, both on-campus and distance learners, will have a virtual orientation on Tuesday, August 25. In addition, new students who will be on campus for Fall Term I will have a brief orientation on campus on August 31. More details about both programs will be available soon.

Several spaces on campus will be converted to lounge spaces where students can congregate between classes and meet with friends while also observing appropriate social distancing guidelines. Additional study carrels will also be set up in the library.

Yes, the dining hall will be open for students for lunch only. Flik, our dining service provider, will also provide snacks throughout the class day for students.

After school activities, including community service, theater rehearsal, and student club and organization meetings, will take place but will look different, given the need to comply with social distancing guidelines. We will have more outdoors activities and have purchased four large tents to place around campus.

In mid-July the heads of schools and athletic directors from the Founders League’s schools met and unanimously decided to cancel interscholastic competition for the fall season "after many discussions prioritizing community health, safety, and well-being." The New England Prep School Athletic Council also has canceled all championship tournaments for the fall. Decisions about interscholastic play for the winter and spring seasons will be made at later dates.

While we know the cancellation of fall interscholastic competition is disappointing, Loomis Chaffee remains committed to the advancement of our student athletes. This fall we will provide our students with rigorous sport-specific programs that are focused on drills and skill development, performance training, and social and emotional growth. The Loomis Chaffee Athletics Department will also launch conversations and speakers’ series around nutrition for athletes, mindfulness, sport-specific college recruiting, and anti-racist work. In addition, the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) has given permission for schools to support out-of-season coaching, allowing us to work with our winter and spring athletes during the fall. As part of that work, we will schedule film sessions and internal “showcases” that we will livestream and invite college coaches to view for fall, winter, and spring athletes in the latter part of the fall as safety standards allow.

If you have any questions about the athletics program, please contact Athletic Director Sue Cabot at sue_cabot@loomis.org.
 

Yes. The Athletics Department will be running a games and life fitness program for interested students. Some of the activities will include outdoor volleyball, tennis, frisbee golf, and outdoor fitness classes. The department also will offer all students online basic to advanced fitness classes and additional performance training with Coach Mai.

This summer Loomis has spent over $1.5 million dollars on changes to classrooms, dormitories, dining halls, and other physical spaces on the campus to comply with CDC and state of Connecticut recommendations. 

• Furniture in the classrooms has been rearranged and/or replaced to provide 6 feet of social distancing between students and their teacher.
• Labs are set up to provide similar distancing and acrylic barriers will be installed on all lab benches.
• We have installed acrylic barriers for teachers in classrooms.
• All faculty will be provided with face shields that they can elect to wear in combination with a face mask.
• Class sizes will average only seven students.
• To reduce congestion in buildings, one-way traffic patterns have been established in many of the buildings and most will also have external doors designated for either entry or exit.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available in all buildings.
• The dining hall tables will have dividers.
• We have installed self-flush toilets.
• We have increased Health Center space and staffing.
• We have purchased four tents for outside use.
• And we have improved air systems across campus.
   

If you would like to reach out to other families in your area, there is an interim directory on the New Parent and Parent portals, upper right side of the landing page, that may be helpful.

The school encourages parents to consider carefully whether carpools and van services are safe and can provide appropriate social distancing. If families elect to use these methods of transportation, the school expects that students will wear masks while traveling and wash/sanitize their hands before and after their rides. If a student who uses a carpool or van service exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive with COVID-19, the school may require that all students who carpool with that student quarantine at home and not return to campus without a negative COVID-19 test. Please note that the school does not offer daily transportation services to and from campus.

Due to the worsening conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as related issues, including the availability of reliable and rapid COVID-19 testing, the school felt it could not safely open the dormitories for Fall Term I. Accordingly, boarding students will need to learn online for the term. However, boarding students who can and would like to commute daily to campus during this term can elect to do so.

All parents will be asked to complete an online form regarding their plans for the first term. This form will be sent to families on August 6, and we ask that it be submitted by August 10. Boarding students who wish to commute to campus during Fall Term I can indicate this on the form. 

Since last spring, faculty and administrators have been hard at work developing an improved online academic program in anticipation of the need to use one this year. This program will look different from the spring 2020 program in several ways. Students will be taking smaller and fewer classes during the term, which will facilitate more contact time with their peers and teachers. All classes will rotate between synchronous and asynchronous meetings to manage screen time in a more effective way. (In-person classes will also toggle back and forth between synchronous and asynchronous classes.) Asynchronous assignments will be more structured and coordinated among faculty teaching the same course.

In preparation for this year’s online program, faculty completed 30 hours of professional development to prepare them for “hi-flex” teaching. The focus of the eight-module program was distance teaching and learning.

So what will your classes look like? Loomis designed its hybrid academic program so that each class is designed for either face-to-face instruction or online instruction. If you are an online student, your classes will be with just other online students. If you are on campus in a face-to-face classroom, your classes will be with only fellow students on campus. We made this decision deliberately recognizing that trying to teach students who are in a classroom and students who are online at the same time doesn't serve either group of students well. Only in very rare circumstances will a class have a mix of students who are in the classroom and online.

in June we designed a schedule for the 2020–21 school year with flexibility in mind. The schedule can easily accommodate students learning on campus and also students learning online in all time zones. A survey will go out to all parents on August 6. We ask that each family fill out this survey as soon as possible so that we can place students in the time blocks that best coincide with the time zone they live in. Students in the Eastern time zone will take classes in B1, B2, B3, and B4. Students in the Pacific time zone will take classes in B3, B4, B5, and B6. Students in Asia will take classes in B1, B2, B5, and B6. Students in other time zones will be placed in time blocks with care and sensitivity. As is always the case, we will do our best to schedule to the needs of each individual student knowing that even in the best of circumstances we cannot accommodate every request of every student.

The Loomis Chaffee Bookstore will send all students a list of books and supplies for each class. Once you know your schedule, you can order those books and supplies from the school’s bookstore or through any other vendor you prefer.

Your schedule will be made available before the end of August.

Yes. All new students, both on-campus and distance learners, will have an online orientation on Tuesday, August 25. More details about this program will be available soon.

Each ninth-grade student will be assigned an advisor who advises only ninth-graders and has been trained to help those students make the transition to high school. Curricula for ninth- and 10th-grade students designed by the class deans and the Norton Family Center for the Common Good will be a big part of weekly advisory group meetings and are designed to deepen community and inspire engagement. (More information about this advisory seminar series will be available soon.) In addition, all boarding students will be assigned to residential pods that will begin to meet and bond during the first term even though they are not yet living in the dormitories. 

At minimum, all faculty will have office hours each week during one community time period during the day and one community time period in the evening. Students also will be encouraged to reach out to faculty to schedule appointments outside these time blocks if needed. 

Yes. The Learning Access & Student Achievement Office stands ready to support the academic, organizational, and social-emotional needs of our online students. Molly Pond has joined the office as director of distance learning support to specifically address these needs. Together with Lena Sadowitz and Michele Trenchard, Molly will support online student achievement.

Yes. Online students will have access to all student support systems that on-campus students have access to. The Quantitative Resources Center (QRC), Writing Studio, and other peer-to-peer and faculty-to-student support programs plan to provide the schedule and hours necessary to meet the needs of our online students.

Creating a rich and connected community life for all our students is as important to us as delivering an excellent academic program. Under the leadership of our Student Life team and in collaboration with student leaders and offices and faculty across campus, including coaches, the theater and dance programs, community service, and student clubs and organizations, we will deliver a student life program that enables new and returning, online and on-campus students to connect with each other in meaningful and fun ways.

• Community time has been built into the daily schedule on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. That time can and will be used in a variety of ways, including club meetings, all-school convocations, advisor meetings, faculty office hours, and more.
• Students will connect with their advisors often and in meaningful ways. Students will meet with their advisory group on Thursdays and will have other opportunities to meet individually on a regular basis.
• Student Activities will work with students to plan special events and weekend activities that will be inclusive of both online and on-campus students.
• Traditional afternoon activities, including athletics, theater, and community service, will be offered for all.
• Boarding students learning online for Fall Term I will still connect with their dorm and assigned pod throughout the term for virtual social events.
• A series of wellness classes/activities from meditation to yoga will be available to online and on-campus students.

Yes. Loomis Chaffee remains committed to the advancement of our student athletes. This fall we will provide our students with rigorous sport-specific programs that are focused on drills and skill development, performance training, and social and emotional growth. The Loomis Chaffee Athletics Department also will launch conversations and speakers’ series around nutrition for athletes, mindfulness, sport-specific college recruiting, and anti-racist work. In addition, the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) has given permission for schools to support out-of-season coaching, allowing us to work with our winter and spring athletes during the fall.

Additionally, the department will offer all students basic to advanced online fitness classes and additional performance training with Coach Mai.

After the third week of Fall Term I (mid-September), the school will assess where Connecticut and the rest of the country are with the spread, containment, and treatment of COVID-19 as well as our own ability to test our on-campus population in a timely fashion. If that assessment and our experience with Fall Term I support the opening of our dormitories, we will begin to welcome back some boarding students for Fall Term II. Which groups of boarding students will return to campus for this phase will be determined at the time of the assessment for Fall Term II.

At this time, Loomis plans to reopen campus using a phased approach. If we are able to open dormitories for Fall Term II, most likely only some groups of boarders will be invited to return at that time. This gradual reopening of campus will allow the school to ease into new residential life health and safety protocols and help us to avoid overwhelming our health care system should there be an outbreak on campus. 

International families are encouraged to contact Jaci Cardwell, director of international students, at jaci_cardwell@loomis.org with any questions they might have.

Families who are considering working with Student Health Advocates (SHA) concierge services and have questions should contact SHA directly. Their website is https://studenthealthadvocates.com/

For boarding families who do not receive financial aid, the school will credit the entire room and board charge for the Fall Term I to your December bill. For families receiving financial aid, the credit will be calculated based on your grant amount. We will do the same with the health fee for those students who are not involved with in-person instruction.

Given our plans for the coming year, we have reduced our tuition and adjusted our tuition structure to charge all families—boarding and day—a flat tuition for the year to cover the academic and co-curricular program.

You will note that the total costs for boarding and day students are lower than the tuition amounts announced in February. The revised tuition structure does not amend the enrollment contract that you have already signed. Your tuition bill will reflect these new amounts. For more information about tuition, deadlines, and billing, please visit the tuition page of the website. 

The first tuition payment is due on July 15. The tuition due can be located on the student’s account which can be found in MyBackPack on the landing page of the Parent Portal. 

Directions to access MyBackPack 

If you would like to adjust your current tuition payment plan to reflect the new tuition amount, you will need to log into your FACTS account. Once you have logged into FACTS, you will click on the Actions Button on your home page then choose Adjust Balance from the drop-down options.

https://online.factsmgt.com/signin.aspx

You can adjust your loan amount by contacting Your Tuition Solution on their toll free number 1-800-920-9777.

Yes. Any family who plans for their child to live on campus for all or a portion of the school year is required to pay the full room & board fee of $15,000 in order for the school to hold a bed for the student.

Any family who plans for their child to live on campus for all or a portion of the school year is required to pay the full room & board fee of $15,000 in order for the school to hold a bed for the student. At the end of the 2020–21 academic year the school will provide a partial refund program for room & board fees for boarding families whose children were not able to return to live on campus due to travel restrictions or health concerns.

No. If your child will be learning online and not returning to campus for the full year, you do not pay the room & board fee. Please be sure to let Tim Lawrence, director of studies, and Amy Thompson, dean of enrollment, know about your decision as soon as possible.

No. In June 2020, the school lowered tuition from levels announced earlier in the year to reflect the plans for the 2020–21 hybrid academic program. There is no tuition refund program because tuition is the same for all day and boarding students regardless of whether they are taking in-person or online classes. (Students living on campus pay an additional room & board fee. See information above regarding the refund program for the room & board fee.)

For general questions about the school’s 2020-21 planning efforts, please contact Mary Liscinsky, COVID-19 coordinator, at mary_liscinsky@loomis.org.

Questions about: 

• Academic Office
  For general requests or questions, including requests for transcripts and other official documents, or requests for appointments by phone, please contact Connie Yocius at 860.687.6204 or connie_yocius@loomis.org.
   
• Admission and Financial Aid Office
  Please contact the Admission and Financial Aid Office at admission@loomis.org.
   
• Alumni/Development Office
  For requests or questions about giving, please contact Mary McGoldrick at 860.687.6276 or mary_mcgoldrick@loomis.org. For requests or questions about alumni and parent relations, including events, please contact Michelle Carr at 860.687.6815 or michelle_carr@loomis.org.
   
• Business Office
  For student accounts and enrollment questions, please contact Julie Knight at julia_knight@loomis.org; for accounts payable, contact Paula Henriques at paula_henriques@loomis.org; for all other questions, email Julie Knight at julia_knight@loomis.org or John Cheon at john_cheon@loomis.org.
   
• Campus Safety
  Campus Safety can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 860.202.5978. You can also email Campus Safety at campussafety@loomis.org.
   
• College Office
  Please email your college advisor directly or email College_Office@loomis.org.
   
• Communications Office
  Please contact the Communications Office at lc_communications@loomis.org.
   
• Counseling Office
  Please contact Julie Field at julie_field@loomis.org.
   
• Dean of Students
  Please contact the dean for each class as appropriate:
  Freshman Dean:  Jake Leyden at jake_leyden@loomis.org
  Sophomore Dean: Mike Donegan at mike_donegan@loomis.org
  Junior Dean: Elliott Dial at elliott_dial@loomis.org
  Senior/PG Dean: Jessica Matzkin at jessica_matzkin@loomis.org
   
• Distance Learning

  Please contact Tim Lawrence, director of studies at tim_lawrence@loomis.org

• Enrollment 
  Please contact Amy Thompson, dean of enrollment at amy_thompson@loomis.org
   

• Health Center
  Please contact the Health Center at health_center@loomis.org.

• Information Technology
  To reach the IT Help Desk, please email help_desk@loomis.org. Faculty and staff may submit an rSchool request for help through the Faculty & Staff Portal.

• International Students
  Please contact Jaci Cardwell at jaci_cardwell@loomis.org.
   
• Loomis Chaffee Summer Program
  Please contact the LCSP at summer_program@loomis.org.