CGPS Reopening Information

What to Expect Fall 2020 at CGPS

A message from the Head of School, Dr. Bill Donohue:

CGPS has developed a comprehensive plan that keeps our community’s health and safety as our first priority, as well as providing an academic plan that maintains the essence of a CGPS education: a student-centered learning experience that focuses on nurturing the interests and talents of all your children.

Our plan begins on Tuesday, September 8, with full-day distance learning for this opening week. Our phase-in schedule will begin for our youngest students on Monday, September 14 with a gradual ramp up to our full in-person and hybrid programs by Tuesday, October 13.

We know that, given the unique nature of this school year, our parents and students will have many questions. To help answer them, we have provided information by division and category on such wide-ranging topics as health and safety, academic excellence, social-emotional health, transportation and dining. We will continue to update the plan and this webpage, as needed.

CGPS is an extraordinary community and I am confident that, united together, we will navigate these extraordinary circumstances and that our students will have a successful and enriching year.

CGPS's phase-in schedule

Grammar School
PreK Phase-in: September 14-18
PreK Full Day In-person: September 21
K Phase-in: September 29-October 2
K Full Day In-person: October 5
1st Grade Phase-in: October 5-7
1st Grade Full Day In-Person: October 8
Grades 2, 3 & 4 Phase-in: October 8-9
Grades 2, 3 & 4 Full Day In-person: October 13

Middle School
Grade 5 Orientation: October 5-6
Grade 5 Full Day In-person: October 13
Grades 6 & 7 Orientation: October 7-8
Grades 6 & 7 Full Hybrid Program Begins: October 13

Prep School
Grades 8-12 Full Hybrid Program Begins: October 13

Note that Monday, September 28 and Monday, October 12 are holidays

THE CGPS Health & Safety pledge

In our collective fight against COVID-19, we know that our individual actions have a direct impact on the health and safety of others around us. Every member of our community must take personal responsibility for their own health and that of others.

We ask that every member of our CGPS community pledge to:

Adhere to the current New York State and City public health guidelines
Abide by the specific health and safety instructions provided by the School, including but not limited to conscientiously completing the daily health screening before arriving to campus, taking COVID-19 tests when administered and staying home when feeling ill or having failed the daily screening
Wear face coverings and maintain physical distance on and off campus
Follow best practices regarding regular hand washing and sanitizing
Observe capacity limits in educational and social settings both on and off campus as directed by the State, City and School
Adapt to new protocols and procedures as they arise
Be compassionate and helpful to everyone in our community who may be experiencing increased fear and anxiety due to these new protocols

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Health & Well-being: Safeguard the physical and mental health of students, faculty and staff through new safety protocols, technology tools, facility improvements and support mechanisms.

Teaching & Learning: Maintain the integrity and excellence of our academic program across multiple learning modalities.

Equity & Access: Address the needs of our community by meeting them where they are and ensuring a sense of wholeness and belonging.

Live our Values: Stay true to our core values of balance, integrity, curiosity, unity and excellence. Especially in these challenging times, create a space that is welcoming and safe for all community members.

Flexibility: Prepare for the uncertainty of the moment through nimble processes and protocols that are responsive to the broader environment.

The School Day: What You Need to Know

Heath & Safety

COVID Testing

To ensure the safety of our school community, CGPS is committed to ongoing testing. No earlier than a week before school begins, faculty, staff and students must be tested. Families are responsible for their child's testing. Then, during the school year, CGPS anticipates conducting ongoing COVID-19 testing at the School of faculty, staff and students.

Pre-opening testing requirements
Ongoing Testing

Pre-opening testing requirements

Ongoing Testing

CGPS anticipates ongoing testing all community members, including faculty, staff and students, using a rapid saliva test. Testing is the number one way to keep our community safe and to stop the spread of COVID-19. Testing will take place at designated times during the school day, test children, teachers and staff on a rotating basis and should cause minimal disruption to instruction time.

Daily COVID screen via RUVNA

Parents and students will be responsible for a morning health screening through a link that will be sent to you via text every morning at 5 a.m. By 7 a.m., all families must click on the link and complete the screen, which includes your student's temperature.

If your child has no symptoms of illness, you will receive a QR code that can be shown on a mobile device or a print-out at drop-off. If your child has symptoms, he or she will fail the screen and will receive a call from your divisional Nurse after 7:30 a.m. Children with failed screens must stay home from school.

Please complete the screen every morning. Children with incomplete screens will not be given access to the campus.

Details on how to use the Ruvna screen can be found on our COVID-19 Daily Screen FAQs below (login required).

Covid-19 daily screen FAQ

Attendance

If your child will be absent, or will be late for any reason, please:

Grammar School: notify the student's teacher(s) via email or voicemail.

Middle School and Prep School: email the Assistant to the Director for your division as early as possible.

If your child has failed the Ruvna screen, stay home. You will receive a follow-up call from a nurse after 7:30 a.m.

Travel-related quarantine

The Governor’s Executive Order requires all travelers coming from states with significant rates of transmission of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period, even if a negative test result is obtained within this timeframe. Those traveling to the United States from CDC Level 3 countries have the same requirement. As per the Community Pledge, the School requires anyone who chooses to visit an affected state or country to quarantine.

NYS restricted states

CDC travel recommendations

physical distancing

Class schedules and space configurations have been devised to ensure that all individuals on campus will maintain at least six feet of physical separation during instruction. In small spaces where such distancing is not possible (e.g., elevators), reduced occupancy and physical barriers will be used and face coverings will be required. Signage will also be used to help maintain appropriate social distancing. Faculty and staff will coach students to maintain proper social distancing on an ongoing basis.

Face Coverings and Physical barriers

Face coverings will be required at all times in classrooms -- but your child will be given opportunities for mask breaks, as well as time to remove masks during snacks and lunch. Your child may wear any non-gaiter style mask -- that is, the mask must be fitted to the face. If a child needs a new mask during the school day, CGPS will provide one.

When masks are off, each student will be provided with a transparent, portable, tri-fold desktop barrier. Each student will be assigned their own barrier.

Nurse's Office Protocols

CGPS has instituted new nurse's office protocols to maximize health and safety. These new procedures have been carefully considered by our nurses, our school pediatrician and the outside medical experts on our COVID-19 Task Force.

Any student who needs to visit the nurse for suspected COVID-19 symptoms during the school day will be evaluated by the nurse, and may be administered rapid COVID-19 and Influenza A + B tests. Parents and caregivers will be called as soon as the child is on the way to the isolation room to pick up the child from School: no child with suspected COVID-19 symptoms will be sent back to class after a visit to the isolation room. When parents arrive, the nurse will escort the child outside of the building to meet them and give the parents further instructions.

Your Division Director will provide specific details about nurse's office protocols for their division.

Contact tracing

Contract tracing is a crucial tool in combating the pandemic. CGPS's three designated contact tracers, who have been trained by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will be responsible for identifying exposure to potential COVID-19 cases. They will communicate their findings to the Division Directors and Head of School who will determine the best course of action for the School. Please note that any positive COVID-19 case must be reported to the City's Board of Health.

What if my child feels sick?

What if my child needs to be picked up due to illness?

What if my child tests positive for COVID-19?

If your child tests positive for COVID-19, you must notify the School and quarantine for 14 days. The child will not be allowed to return to campus until he or she produces two negative molecular tests, administered at least 24 hours apart. During the quarantine period, if your child feels well enough to engage in learning, he or she can participate in class via live streaming (in the MS or PS) and remote learning (in the GS).

What if the school has a positive case?

what if school has to close?

If the School has to close, parents will be notified by the Head of School via multiple channels, including text, email and the website. Instructions about pick-up will be included in the Head of School's communications.

In accordance with City and State guidelines, should the School have to close, all classes will move to distance learning immediately (the subsequent school day). Division Directors will engage their teams to communicate with students, families, faculty and staff to ensure a smooth transition to online learning. Class schedules have been devised to allow for delivery of instruction either in-person or online without disruption or delay.

Return to campus after closure

Campus Life

Staggered drop-off and pick-up

Transportation

School bus arrivals: The School has arranged with its bus vendor that students will be limited to one child per bench seat, except for children from the same household. Everyone will be required to wear face coverings while on the bus, and windows will be opened, weather permitting. Buses will be cleaned before and after each run.

Information about arrivals by other means, including by car, will be provided at a later date by the Division Directors.

Food Service

Grammar School students will be provided lunch by our food service company, FLIK. Parents will be required to pre-order their child's lunch. Lunches will be clearly labeled with names and delivered to classrooms. To protect against allergens, no child in the Grammar School is allowed to bring their own lunch. Children will be eating in their classrooms, using protective, transparent barriers.

Middle and Prep School students will have the option to pre-order boxed lunches from FLIK or to bring their own food from home. Please note that there will be no refrigerators nor microwaves available to students, so those with packed lunches should plan accordingly. MS and PS students will also eat in classrooms behind transparent barriers.

Information about FLIK's ordering system will be shared before the start of on-campus learning.

FLIK lunch order portal

Cleaning & Hygiene

High-traffic and high-touch areas of School are cleaned by a dedicated team 3-4 times per day. Deep cleaning and disinfection occur at the end of each school day. Hygiene, cleaning and disinfection protocols at the School are aligned with CDC guidelines. All materials used are in keeping with the guidelines of the DOH and the CDC.

Specialized areas like nurse's offices and the adjacent isolation rooms will have a deep cleaning every night and, as needed, during school hours. Isolation rooms will be cleaned according to CDC-approved processes and using CDC-approved cleaning and disinfecting materials. Cleaning crew will wear PPE when cleaning.

Classrooms will be equipped with ample cleaning supplies.

common areas

CGPS Athletics

CGPS is excited to offer an all-virtual athletic program this fall, including 16 teams, for grades 5-12. The virtual program will help athletes improve their general fitness, improve skills, learn game strategy and build team camaraderie. The season will extend from September 14 to October 30. All schedules can be found at cgps.org/athletics.

Our fall sports offerings:

Cross Country

Coed Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 4:45)
Coed 7 & 8 - Monday, Thursday (3:45 - 4:45)
Coed 5 & 6 - Monday, Wednesday (4:45 - 5:45)

Tennis

Girls Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 4:45)
Girls JV - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (4:45 - 5:45)

Strength & Conditioning / Fitness

Coed Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (7:00 - 8:00 a.m.)
Coed 5 & 6 - Tuesday, Thursday (4:45 - 5:45)

Volleyball

Girls Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 4:45)
Girls JV - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (4:45 - 5:45)
Girls 7 & 8 “Blue” 7 grade - Monday, Thursday (3:45 - 4:45)
Girls 7 & 8 “Gray” 8 grade - Monday, Thursday (3:45 - 4:45)

Soccer

Boys Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 4:45)
Boys JV - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (4:45 - 5:45)
Boys 7 & 8 - Monday, Thursday (3:45 - 4:45)
Girls Varsity - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 4:45)
Girls 7 & 8 - Monday, Thursday (3:45 - 4:45)

The Prep School Physical Education department believes in the development of a healthy, physically fit student with an understanding of personal wellness. This fall, physical education will be offered during both distance and hybrid learning with an equal amount of emphasis being placed on both the physical and educational aspects of the class. These classes will include General Physical Education, Dance and Yoga. Students in these classes will be expected to participate in daily Workouts of the Day (WODs), contribute to online discussion boards, keep journals and work collaboratively on projects.

Extracurriculars

Before & After Care

Teaching & Learning

Grammar School

Balancing our belief that younger learners benefit greatly from in-person instruction with a thoughtful, deliberate approach to reopening the School, the Grammar School will begin the school year in remote learning and then transition to in-person learning five days per week. We will phase in these transitions according to the following schedule:

	Remote learning	Transitional period	In-person learning
PreK	Sep 8-11	Sep 14-18	Sep 21
K	Sep 8-25	Sep 28-Oct 2	Oct 5
Grade 1	Sep 8-Oct 2	Oct 5-7	Oct 8
Grades 2-4	Sep 8-Oct 7	Oct 8-9	Oct 13

Following CDC’s health and safety guidelines, Grammar School students will attend classes in small cohorts. CGPS will accommodate those families who prefer a fully remote learning option, which begins on September 8.

Middle School Grade 5

Students in Grade 5 will begin the school year in distance learning from September 8 through October 9. Starting on October 13, 5th graders will attend School in person, five days a week.

To help with the transition from distance to in-person learning, half of the 5th grade will have an orientation to the new school protocols and also engage in on-site instruction on Monday, October 5. The other half of the grade will come to campus on Tuesday, October 6. Middle School Director Paul Baly will provide detailed information as those dates draw nearer.

CGPS will accommodate those families who prefer a fully distance-learning option. Those students will have the option to attend School remotely by live stream. More details will be shared directly with families who choose to exercise that option.

Middle school grades 6-7

Students in Grades 6-7 will begin the school year in distance learning from September 8 through October 9. Starting on October 13, 6th and 7th graders will attend School on a hybrid schedule. Specifically, for any given 6th or 7th grade class, a portion of the students will be on campus in a physical classroom and the remaining students will connect to that physical classroom via Zoom room. Consequently, once we enter the in-school phase of the school year on October 13, 6th and 7th grade students will be assigned a color (Navy or Sky) designating which days they will report to School. Navy will come to School on Mondays and Wednesdays; Sky will come to School on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with each group attending in person on alternating Fridays.

To help with the transition from distance to hybrid learning, half of the 6th and 7th graders will have an orientation to the new school protocols and also engage in on-site instruction on Wednesday, October 7. The remaining students will come to campus on Thursday, October 8. Middle School Director Paul Baly will provide detailed information as those dates draw nearer.

CGPS will accommodate those families who prefer a fully distance-learning option. Those students will be able to attend School remotely by live stream. More details will be shared directly with families who choose to exercise that option.

Prep School

Students in Grades 8-12 will begin the school year in distance learning from September 8 through October 9. Starting on October 13, Prep School students will attend School on a hybrid schedule. Specifically, for any given Prep School class, a portion of the students will be on campus in a physical classroom and the remaining students will connect to that physical classroom from home remotely. Consequently, once we enter the in-school phase of the school year on October 13, 8th through 12th grade students will be assigned a color (Navy or Sky) designating which days they will report to School. Navy will come to School on Mondays and Wednesdays; Sky will come to School on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with each group attending in person alternating Fridays.

Live Streaming

CGPS will accommodate families who prefer a fully distance-learning option.

In the Grammar School, those students will be able to attend School with other students who are also choosing a fully remote-learning experience.

In the Middle and Prep Schools, students who wish to learn entirely from home will be able to attend on-site and hybrid classes by connecting to the physical classroom remotely via Zoom room.

Technology

faculty professional development

The summer period is usually a time for our faculty to dive into professional development activities, and this past summer has been no exception. In particular, faculty members have focused on mastering the Zoom platform (we taught from Google Meet in the spring), teaching from a hybrid classroom set-up and creating more engaging online and project-based learning experiences. In addition, there is a school-wide focus on diversity, equity and inclusion this year, which this summer has included reading Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People and attending a day-long workshop with an outside diversity consultant. This important work will be a top priority and ongoing throughout this school year.

Textbooks & supplies

Your child’s Division Director will communicate directly with parents with regard to the textbook and supply pick-up logistics.

On Monday, September 14 through Thursday, September 17 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. each day, the Middle School will hold curbside pick-up for students’ textbooks and additional school supplies.

The Prep School asks that students return all textbooks and supplies from last school year. On Wednesday, September 9 through Wednesday, September 16 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. each day, the Prep School will hold drop-off and pick-up for students’ textbooks and additional school supplies in the North and South Gyms. On the first day of school, teachers will share the supplies and textbooks needed for their classes with their students. The following website will also give this information. Please note that teachers are updating this website on an ongoing basis.

Prep School Textbook Pick-up & drop-off

Community & Wellness

Social-Emotional Well-Being

The foundation of a CGPS educational experience is social-emotional well-being.

The Grammar School will be hosting grade-banded parent talks, focused on health, safety and emotional well-being. We will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on families, children and school communities, review health and safety precautions and discuss social emotional considerations. It is our hope that we can partner together to support our children with their re-entry to campus, while building a clear, shared understanding of our safety procedures and health precautions.

In the Middle School, we remain firmly focused on creating safe (virtual) spaces, establishing warm, supportive community connections and encouraging meaningful conversations. Our Student Advisory and Meeting Class programming will be central to supporting this effort. Within these forums, our students will be working to build a strong emotional vocabulary and to develop critical skills for effective coping, social problem solving and communication. In addition, psychologist Dr. Tracey Leigh Murray and Nurse Sue Redgen are working collaboratively to provide support to our community as a whole, and to highlight self-care as we continue to adjust to new medical information, safety protocols and ongoing shifts in our daily routines.

In the Prep School, students have ongoing meetings with their Deans, who are focused on their students' academic and emotional life. Our counseling team go into grade-level classes in an effort to know all students; the Issues curriculum is being expanded to include COVID-related concerns.

Equity & Inclusion

Throughout the planning process for the reopening of School, we have worked to ensure that all students have access to a whole and consistent educational experience and that all students feel a sense of belonging and connection to the School. Particular care has been taken to ensure that all students have access to the equipment they need to fully participate in the program, in whichever form it takes. In addition, all students have access to their teachers and specialists outside of their scheduled class times for extra help as needed.

visitor policy

Visiting the campus is strictly limited. Visitors, including parents/guardians, will generally not be admitted to campus buildings. Exceptions are limited to essential delivery workers and those with express approval from a Division Director, Nurse or the Head of School. Parents must have a pre-scheduled appointment to be welcomed on campus. We expect those exceptions to be rare. All visitors will be required to have their temperatures taken at the reception desk and be logged in to the School’s security system, which is accessible at every entry point.

Contact the Parents Association

School Offices

Admission

Advancement

CGPS's Office of Institutional Advancement is continuing to serve the School's mission this fall. The office is hosting a series of virtual parent orientations. This 30-minute session is a great opportunity to meet the members of our Office and receive an overview of communications, events and activities in the upcoming year. Technology Department staff will also give an overview of CGPS's website, mobile app and help troubleshoot any questions you may have.

Please register for one of the virtual sessions below. All sessions will be from 9:30-10:00 a.m. via Zoom.

Thursday, September 24
Tuesday, September 29
Thursday, October 1
Tuesday, October 6
Thursday, October 8

Business

Please contact your Division Directors with any questions you may have. Our families are an integral part of our reopening success, and we rely on our partnership with you to make that success happen.