Planning for 2020-21

The 2020-21 Academic Calendar provides 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 includes 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 online 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 online synchronous classes are also 70 minutes. Synchronous and asynchronous class meetings for both in-person and online 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 online learners in the Eastern time zone in the United States.

Sample Online 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 an online 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. Please note that the times on the Master Schedule are Eastern Time Zone times..

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 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.

The school has designed an online learning program to meet the needs of students who cannot return to campus due to travel restrictions or health concerns. This program also will be used should circumstances related to the pandemic require us to close campus and move all students to an online learning format. For more information about the online learning program, please refer to the FAQs below for online students.

While the school decided to go to a pass/fail system for this past spring term, we have returned 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 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.
   

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 on Thursdays to hold real and brave conversations about the issues of the day and our relationship with those issues and each other. Read more about the Thursday Advisory Group (TAG) program here. In addition, ninth-grade students will be placed with specialized advisors who can assist in their transition to high school, and 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 continues 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 internationally-renowned speaker and psychotherapist who works with children, families, and educators as they deal with worry and anxiety. Ms. Lyons held a seminar with the faculty before the school year began and presented to parents in the early fall. A recording of her webinar with parents is posted on the Parent Portal. She will be available to the school throughout the year as we navigate these challenging times together. 

After-school activities, including athletics, community engagement, 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 have more outdoor activities and have four large tents placed 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 is running a games and life fitness program for interested students. Some of the activities include outdoor volleyball, tennis, and outdoor fitness classes. The department also offers all students online basic to advanced fitness classes and additional performance training with Coach Mai.

While the school allowed students taking in-person classes to participate in off-campus group activities such as club sports and tournaments during Fall Term 1, we are concerned about the risk such participation will bring to our residential and expanded school community when we fully reopen campus. Therefore, no student, boarding or day, who is living in the dormitories and/or taking in-person classes will be allowed to participate in group activities, including off-campus club sports or tournaments, during Fall Term 2. This was not an easy decision to make but is in line with many of our peer schools and one that we feel strongly is the right decision for the school at this time. We will continue to review this policy before the start of each term. For families that feel strongly that their child must participate in a particular off-campus activity for the five weeks of Fall Term 2, please discuss this with your child’s academic dean, either Tim Lawrence (grades 10, 12, PG) or Bob DeConinck (grades 9 and 11), who can talk with you about your option for online classes for the term. 

Yes. Loomis Chaffee remains committed to the advancement of our student athletes. This fall we are providing 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 is launching 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 is offering all students basic to advanced online fitness classes and additional performance training with Coach Mai.

All students, faculty, staff, and visitors are required to wear masks on campus. Masks must be worn at all times except when eating or given permission by a faculty member. Boarding students may remove their masks in their dorm rooms.

Yes, students 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 

Yes. Student (and faculty and staff) should practice social distancing whenever possible. This means keeping 6 feet between yourself and others. This is a particularly challenging measure to follow but so important in our efforts to keep our community healthy. In addition to social distancing hand hygiene — washing and sanitizing your hands throughout the day — is also critical, as is refraining from touching your face and monitoring your health.

Yes. All boarders as well as day students, faculty, and staff coming to campus need to complete the health survey on the REACH app each morning before leaving your dorm or coming to campus.

Please review the following video for instructions: https://loomis.wistia.com/medias/dq8nvrpdsz

NOTE: If you have an older Android or iPhone you may not be able to download the app because your OS will not support it. Please try updating your operating system first. If that does not work, you can use this url to complete the daily health check. https://loomis.reachboarding.com/

This short video will how you how: https://loomis.wistia.com/medias/ug72hr2pxo

All students on campus for Fall Term 2 and their parents are required to sign a Fall Term 2 expectations agreement. Students who violate the agreement may be required to complete the term online. Students who are attending in-person classes for Fall Term 1 (and their parents) signed a similar agreement at the start of that term.

In fall Term 1 the Health Center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on all class days. In Fall Term 2 the Health Center will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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.

All students who will be in-person learners during Fall Term 2 must have a flu shot before they return to campus for Fall Term 2. Many students currently taking in-person classes recently received their flu shot on campus. All other students must present evidence of a recently administered flu vaccination; please send that information to the Health Center via fax 860.688.1557 or 860.955.3364 or email to health_center@loomis.org.

Concerns about this requirement, including questions about medical/religious exemptions, that have not already been addressed should be directed to the Health Center.

Yes. All students who will be in-person learners during Fall Term 2 are required to provide results of a COVID-19 PCR test taken on or after October 6 for boarding students moving into the dormitories on October 13, or on or after October 7 for all other students. You can send your test result to the Health Center via fax 860.688.1557 or 860.955.3364 or email to health_center@loomis.org.

EXCEPTION: Students coming from states on Connecticut’s Travel Advisory List or from countries with a CDC Level III travel warning must have results from a COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arriving in Connecticut. Please review information on this page for more details. You can send your test result to the Health Center via fax 860.688.1557 or 860.955.3364 or email to health_center@loomis.org.

Students without a negative test result will not be allowed to move into the dorms or attend in-person classes until they can produce a negative test result.

No. In earlier planning, the school had considered requiring all boarding students to quarantine in order to meet state of Connecticut requirements. Those requirements have changed so we will not require all boarders to quarantine at the start of the term. We do expect student to engage in best health & safety practices prior to the start of the term.

Yes. Students coming from states on Connecticut’s Travel Advisory List or from countries with a CDC Level III travel warning, must have results from a COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arriving in Connecticut. If students are unable to provide that result, they must self-quarantine in Connecticut until they secure a negative PCR test result. Please note that students who must self-quarantine may not do so on campus. If you have not done so already, please let the school know your travel plans by completing the Fall Term 2 Travel Plan Form. Students traveling from these locations are also required to submit a form to the state of Connecticut; the state also will require a copy of your COVID-19 PCR test result. You can find that form here: https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ct/DPH/Connecticut-Travel-Health-Form

Yes. Students coming from states on Connecticut’s Travel Advisory List or from countries with a CDC Level III travel warning, must have results from a COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arriving in Connecticut. If students are unable to provide that result, they must self-quarantine in Connecticut until they secure a negative PCR test result. Please note that students who must self-quarantine may not do so on campus. If you have not done so already, please let the school know your travel plans by completing the Fall Term 2 Travel Plan Form. Students traveling from these locations are also required to submit a form to the state of Connecticut; the state also will require a copy of your COVID-19 PCR test result. You can find that form here: https://appengine.egov.com/apps/ct/DPH/Connecticut-Travel-Health-Form

Yes. The school will test all students, faculty, and staff shortly after the term begins. The tests will be conducted on campus by Health Center staff. Following the campus-wide test, the school will conduct ongoing surveillance testing throughout the term. The surveillance tests will involve approximately 10 percent of the school population each week which will enable the school to monitor the health of our community. The school will pay for these tests.

If a student or faculty or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, the Health Center first contacts the infected community member and, in the case of a student, contacts the student's parents or guardian. The school then notifies the Town of Windsor Health Department and the COVID-19 Coordinator initiates the contact tracing program. As part of that program individuals determined to be direct contacts of the infected individual will be given specific instructions regarding quarantine and receive follow-up communication from the appropriate offices to help them manage that process. A notice will then go to students, parents, faculty, and staff to let the community know that there is a positive case and any next steps. Names of infected individuals will not be shared. In her weekly emails to the community, the head of school will provide general updates on any cases and results of campus-wide and surveillance testing.

Before moving into the dormitories, boarding students must have all the required health forms completed and submitted to the Health Center through Magnus; provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test result; and receive a flu shot.

Move-In dates and times are listed below. To reduce crowding in the dormitories during move-in, parents of returning boarding students will not be allowed in the dormitories. New students may have one parent/guardian help them move into their dormitory. If you have any questions about move-in procedures, please contact your class dean or dorm head.

Tuesday, October 13

• 9 – 9:45 a.m. — Resident Assistants (RAs) and Prefects arrive. Drop-off only.
• 4 – 5:30 p.m. — Students taking the SAT/PSAT on Wednesday, October 14. Drop-off only.
• 4 – 5:30 p.m. — International students have the option to arrive at this time with permission from the Deans Office. Please contact your class dean.

Wednesday, October 14

• 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. — New students arrive. We are asking that only one parent/guardian assist with move-in to the dormitory.
• 3 – 5 p.m. — Returning students arrive. Drop-off only.
  • 3 – 4 p.m. — Students whose last names begin with A-M
  • 4 – 5 p.m. — Students whose last names begin with N-Z

Because Fall Term 2 is only five weeks long and boarding students will not return to campus after this term until January, we ask that students minimize the amount of luggage that they bring to campus. Please only bring the essentials such as clothes, toiletries, books, etc., and please keep to a minimum any shipped items. Please do not bring furniture, rugs, etc.

Only a dormitory's student and faculty residents, and affiliated faculty and staff are allowed in the dormitory.

To protect the health and safety of all our students, faculty, and staff, parents and other family member are not allowed to visit campus without special permission from the Deans Office.

During the five-week Fall Term 2, boarding students will be restricted to campus.

Because the school is currently restricting visitors and vendors to campus, use of delivery services will be restricted. Dorm heads will provide more information to students once they arrive on campus. Flik, the school's dining services provider, will be stocking each dormitory with between-meal snacks for all students.

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

Families have access to a school directory through the Veracross portal.

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.

In Fall Term 1, students should plan to arrive on campus no earlier than one hour before school starts. Students should plan to leave campus no later than 6 p.m.

Loomis has designed the hybrid academic program so that each class is designed for either in-person instruction or online instruction. So if you are an online student, your classes will be with just other online students. 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.

At minimum, all faculty have office hours each week during one community time period during the day and one community time period in the evening. Students are 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 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 provide the schedule and hours necessary to meet the needs of our online students. Hours are posted in the Daily Bulletin.

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 will continue to offer online classes for students who are unable to return to campus for in-person classes due to travel restrictions or health concerns.

The short answer is YES, we will give the SAT and ACT on campus this fall for students who are able to get to campus and take it. Right now the plan calls for on campus ACTs in September and October, and SATs in September, October, and November. The College Office has sent juniors, seniors, and parents a comprehensive email about all of the fall testing options and how to sign up.

The PSAT will be given to juniors on October 14, so it is possible that some boarders will be back on campus by then. We will be giving the SAT at the same time as the PSAT, and while we recommend most juniors take the PSAT, they may opt for the SAT instead. Because we’ll be giving the PSAT and SAT at the same time, we won’t have room to safely give the sophomores the official PSAT. We are working with Summit Test Prep to offer sophomores (and any juniors not on campus) a chance to take a PSAT online. That PSAT would not be “official” for National Merit purposes, but otherwise is no different than the PSAT we’ll offer on campus on October 14. 

International families are encouraged to contact Elizabeth Parada at elizabeth_parada@loomis.org with any general questions they might have. If you have a question about your I-20, please contact Lori Caligiuri at lori_caligiuri@loomis.org

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/

Yes. Students may study remotely from home or in the US and remain in active status for the foreseeable future. The 5 month rule has been suspended during the pandemic. The requirement to take most classes in person has also been suspended. All classes may be taken online so long as a student continues to progress toward their diploma.

Students who come to campus for Fall Term 2 directly from countries with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention level III travel warning are required by the school to provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test result from a test taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Connecticut. If students are unable to provide that result, they must self-quarantine in Connecticut until they secure a negative PCR test result. Please note that students who must self-quarantine may not do so on campus.

Yes. It is a simple update the school can do for you. Please contact Lori Caligiuri at lori_caligiuri@loomis.org. She can update your address and a change of status from online to in-person.

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.)