Our Safe Return to Mountainside – Fall 2020
“We wish the old things because we cannot understand the new, and we are always seeking after that gorgeousness which belongs to things already on the decline, without recognising in the humble simplicity of new ideas the germ which shall develop in the future.”
Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method
These are clearly unprecedented times for all of us. The 2019-2020 school year ended abruptly and in a way we could not have foreseen. Our Mountainside community mobilized quickly, however, and coped admirably given the closures, the uncertainties, and the newness of it all. Despite current and continued uncertainties concerning the pandemic and the economy, there are some things we have learned through experiment and experience from our spring semester of Learning from Home (LFH) and our careful summer opening. We can adapt and still be, at heart, Montessori.
On this page are Mountainside’s Back to School calendar dates, plans for our safe return to campus, and our contingency plans for future temporary closures during the year.
August 19-20 Parent Orientations
August 22 New Primary Student Orientation
August 24 First Day of School for Adolescent, Elementary, New Primary, and Toddler Programs
August 26 First Day of School for Returning Primary
| Scenario | Operations |
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1 August start Full classrooms Augmented health and safety practices
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Notification of office and staff if you (parent) MUST enter the building; please schedule
Contactless deliveries only Temperatures and required health information for staff and children taken and reported each day before arrival Drive through arrival and dismissal; designated family waiting area when needed Masked arrival/dismissal attendants “Clean Room” practices Masks for staff and children in LE, UE, and Adolescent, if recommended and/or desired Toileting handled one at a time with sanitization in between Larger spaces between children’s tables and rugs Sanitizing steps each evening |
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2 August start Smaller classrooms (due to government restrictions) Augmented health and safety practices Rotational schedules depending on class size*
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Notification of office and staff if you (parent) MUST enter the building; please schedule
Contactless deliveries only Temperatures and required health information for staff and children taken and reported each day before arrival Drive through arrival and dismissal; designated family waiting area when needed Masked arrival/dismissal attendants “Clean Room” practices Masks for staff and children in LE, UE, and Adolescent, if recommended and/or desired Toileting handled one at a time with sanitization in between Larger spaces between children’s tables and rugs Sanitizing steps each evening Cohort system where children rotate through face-to-face and LFH schedule, according to size of class and limits* *Current Phase 1: Maximum of 10 individuals, including staff, per classroom *Current Phase 2 & 3: Maximum of 12 individuals, including staff, for children under the age of four; maximum of 22 individuals, including staff, for children four years and older |
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3 August start/ Midyear COVID-19 resurgence initiating LFH
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Same as above for normal, face-to-face sessions
Transition to Learning from Home: Toddler – No class on LFH days Primary Half Day – No class on LFH days Primary Full Day – Online learning platform with prepared packages available Google Classrooms for LE, UE, and Adolescent with prepared packages and materials for checkout available; gatherings as permitted by Phase levels* *Current Phase 1: Maximum of 10 individuals, including staff, per classroom *Current Phase 2 & 3: Maximum of 12 individuals, including staff, for children under the age of four; maximum of 22 individuals, including staff, for children four years and older |
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4 August start with all LFH |
Learning from Home:
Toddler – No class on LFH days Primary Half Day – No class on LFH days Primary Full Day – Online learning platform with prepared packages available Google Classrooms for LE, UE, and Adolescent with prepared packages and materials for checkout available; gatherings as permitted by Phase levels* *Current Phase 1: Maximum of 10 individuals, including staff, per classroom *Current Phase 2 & 3: Maximum of 12 individuals, including staff, for children under the age of four; maximum of 22 individuals, including staff, for children four years and older |
Current circumstances (07/2020)
Given our current enrollment levels – and Phase 3 restrictions in the state of Virginia – we are able to open for face-to-face learning in all of our environments. We will plan to meet five days per week in the classroom (four for Toddlers). Our goal all year will be to maximize face-to-face learning for the children that call Mountainside home.
Masks
Virginia Governor’s Executive Order 63 mandates that masks shall be worn for all public patrons in the Commonwealth, with the exception of students in a K-12 education institution. For this reason, Mountainside will not require masks to be worn by students, but strongly recommends that students in Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Adolescent do (per the Virginia Department of Social Services). Staff will wear masks except during presentations.
Preparing for school to begin
Please help us adhere to the following practices by reviewing and practicing them with your children:
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Maintain social distancing Wash hands frequently Wear face coverings Monitor health (LE, UE, Adolescent, Staff)
For the foreseeable future, parents and other non-staff individuals will no longer be permitted in the building. We will be requiring daily temperature checks, health screenings, and increased sanitization, among other practices. We will have to remove handshakes, hugs, and close personal space conversations from our daily activities. Know that we love each and every one of you and your children just the same. We will learn to smile with our eyes, if or when a mask has to be in the way.
We look forward to seeing you in August!