Dear 5th Grade Parents/Guardians,
Safety Strategies and Facilities at Middle and Upper Campus Just as we shared safety mitigation information about our elementary campus, we want to make sure you are aware of what is in place at our middle and upper campus. We are following the same mitigation practices we have in place on the elementary campus, with the primary difference being that our middle and upper campus is mostly an indoor space. Our facilities staff has spent the past 10 months preparing that campus for reopening as well, looking to models of schools across the country that are running hybrid models all indoors. We have found that they are all continuing to do what we are doing, which is making sure that all students are masked, physically distanced, washing their hands often, taking advantage of outdoor spaces when possible, using the highest grade MERV filters, and keeping the air circulating continuously while students and staff are on campus. We have also included regular COVID-19 testing as a mitigation strategy at both campuses.
This summer's renovation at the middle and upper campus included the installation of a brand new HVAC system with the highest grade MERV filters on the market, and air is being circulated nonstop, five days a week. With this top quality ventilation system we are confident in holding classes indoors. Teachers are also planning to use the outdoor rooftop deck and lunch table areas, both favorite spaces of our middle and upper school students, to hold some small group activities as well as snack time and lunch so that they are eating and exercising outdoors. In all, we anticipate that more than half of the day will be spent in the outside spaces as most of the activities teachers are planning lend themselves naturally to being outdoors.
Within the building, all classrooms are set up with desks and tables to fit 12 students at least six-feet apart from one another. The doors of all classrooms on the middle and upper campus will be open the whole time students are there to allow for greater air circulation. Our 5th graders will also have the entire building available just to them as no other students will be on campus. In addition to their teachers, there will be a few other adults working on campus in their offices, and elementary and middle and upper administrators will be there as additional support. Because of our frequent K-12 professional development events and campus crossovers, our elementary teachers know the campus quite well and they have been brought up to date on all campus-specific emergency protocols. Onsite Class Cohorts and "Zoomie"-Group Students at Home Onsite Students The focus of the onsite days is primarily in-person socialization. All students who are onsite will be in a cohort with one of their 5th grade teachers (Josy, Mallory, or Kate) or a specialist teacher (Anna, Michael, Kendra, Seth, or Natalie)—students will remain in their assigned cohorts and teachers will rotate each week. Please check the Learning Management System (LMS) for your student's onsite cohort assignment.
Offsite Students ("Zoomies") Fifth grade students who are offsite during visit days will be forming a "Zoomie" social group led by Monique and Brett. They will engage in many of the same activities as their onsite peers, all via Zoom. The Zoomie group will also have the ability to Zoom into their cohorts if—and when—this makes sense. The Friday Zoomie schedule and Zoom links will be posted on all three class pages in the LMS by Thursday evening.
If you do not want your child to be seen on any onsite class Zoom calls, please notify your classroom teacher and Assistant Director of Elementary School Sarah Simon. We will not be recording any of the onsite Zoom sessions.
Reminder: The next opportunity to join onsite will be for the two-week block beginning Feb. 22. You will have the opportunity to reevaluate your choice every two-weeks with a new survey. You may not split onsite/offsite between weeks—students will either be offsite or onsite for the entirety of each two-week period. Reminders for Onsite Days at the Elementary and Middle/Upper Campuses Be sure to check our Elementary School Distributed Learning webpage at wildwood.org/eledistributedlearning for the daily parent/guardian checklist, what to pack with students (masks, snack, lunch, etc.), and required forms for future onsite testing.
Drop-Off, Pick-Up, and Wellness Check Reminders Thank you for adhering to the drop-off and pick-up times for your student. These staggered times will help us adhere to physical distancing guidelines and avoid crossing cohorts. If you need to drop off your student later, or pick up your student early, you may do so only at our designated alternate time of 12 to 12:20 p.m. Please contact elementaryfrontdesk@wildwood.org to make arrangements.
We also thank you for having your student's wellness check completed before you arrive on campus. Having your student's placard, with full name, grade, and class, visible at both drop-off and pick-up will help streamline the process for all. You can find the route maps here: for elementary campus and for middle and upper campus.
COVID-19 Testing During the School Day and Required Forms Due Feb. 12 To prepare for future testing during the school day, which starts this Friday, Feb. 12, please bring the completed Student Onsite COVID-19 Testing Parent/Guardian Consent Form and PMH Laboratory Test Request Form and Student Authorization Forms. Click here for the forms and instructions for completing them. If you choose to get testing done on your own for the Feb. 19 Visit Day, we ask that you provide documentation of the negative test result to Adriana Gonzalez at agonzalez@wildwood.org by noon on Tuesday, Feb.16.
Please feel free to reach out to me, Christina Kyong, or Billy DuMone if you have any additional questions or email K-5covidinfo@wildwood.org.
Thank you!
Sarah Simon Assistant Director of Elementary School Wildwood School |