Reopening Guide

Returning to more in-person school is important for the well-being of many of our students, and a return to greater normalcy will lay the groundwork for an easier transition in the fall. By the end of April, almost all of our teachers will have been vaccinated, and most who have been teaching remotely will be returning to teach in-person as well.

In surveying our community, it was clear that a decisive majority of students would definitely or likely return to in-person schooling full-time, while perhaps 20% would stay or go fully remote. These responses gave us confidence that the effort to reopen more fully would be worthwhile, and that we could continue to accommodate those who preferred to learn from home.  

In developing the safety protocols below, we balanced a number of different goals:

• Following guidance so as to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 for all members of the school;
• Creating an operational framework to allow us to respond effectively to different scenarios if they arise;
• Reducing density in the building to allow for minimum three-foot spacing;
• Ensuring the safest space possible for all people within the walls of Commonwealth School
• Continuing to deliver a Commonwealth education to all students, whether or not they are able to come to the building; and
• Allowing faculty who need to remain at home to teach remotely.

Our health and safety requirements meet and in many instances exceed those set by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the CDC; we will update our protocols as needed based on their evolving guidance and will notify families, faculty, and staff accordingly. 

We expect all students to:

• Stay home if they feel sick.
• Follow all posted health protocols, including: 
  • Wearing a face covering at all times when in the building (except when eating).
  • Maintaining at least 3 feet of physical distance from others at all times.
  • Washing or sanitizing hands upon entering the building, upon entering classrooms, and as needed throughout the school day.
• Follow the building’s one-way traffic flow as marked (with arrows and other signs). 
• Not congregate in the hallways (this includes going straight to their first class even if they arrive before 8:30 a.m.—after washing their hands).
• Sanitize their desks or workstations, under the supervision of their teachers. 
• Sit in their assigned seats (chosen on the first day of class) during class periods.
• Exercise caution and follow public health guidelines when commuting to school or going outside during free periods. (Remember that mask wearing and social distancing still apply.)
• Report—immediately—any COVID-19 symptoms they may be feeling to a teacher or staff member if they are in the building.
• Report—immediately—results of a positive COVID-19 test in their household to our medical point of contact, Stephanie Poynter.
• Follow all instructions for quarantining and returning to school if and when given.
• Let an adult know if they see any behavior that may endanger the health of other members of our community.

Given the seriousness of the coronavirus, any student who does not comply with measures aimed at keeping our community safe may be subject to disciplinary action. 

We expect all parents and guardians to:

• Familiarize themselves with all guidelines posted on this page.
• Talk to their children about these guidelines and the importance of following public health protocols (e.g., mask wearing, social distancing, hand washing/sanitizing, etc.).
• Complete the health screening every day their child will be in the building and no later than 7:30 a.m.
• Report—immediately—results of a positive COVID-19 test in their household to Stephanie Poynter.
• Uphold instructions for quarantining and returning to school if and when given to their child.
• Notify us of any plans for travel to any state not classified as low risk as to ensure that all in the building have been in compliance with state guidelines about travel and safety.

• On or around April 21, we will send out a final poll asking whether students will attend in person or be remote.
• We will run classes entirely remotely on Wednesday, April 28, to allow time to reconfigure classrooms and offices as needed.
• On Thursday, April 29, we will invite all students to return to full-time daily attendance at school. We are resuming in-person learning on a Thursday so that we can see how things work for two days, and then have a weekend to review progress and make any necessary adjustments.

All in-person students must complete a daily health screening survey, which is monitored by Commonwealth’s administrative staff. The screening asks questions regarding COVID-19 symptoms in individuals as well as members of their household. Anyone who does not meet the criteria outlined in the daily health screening must stay home, and families must show evidence of a negative COVID test before returning to school. Families, students, and the school cannot determine for themselves whether a student's illness is or is not COVID. If a student "fails" the daily health screening, the student must both be symptom free for 48 hours and produce a negative COVID test. (Alternatively, they may quarantine for 10 days.)

Please visit the Parent Portal for details regarding downloading our daily screening app (provided by Magnus Health).

A student who travels within New England is not required to quarantine provided all of the following criteria are met: travel was via private transportation, lodging was with no more than one other non-immediate household, and attendance at gatherings was limited to 10 people (indoors) and 25 people (outdoors).

Students who do not meet all of these criteria or who travel outside of New England may return to school after receiving a negative PCR test at any time following their return, provided they have observed safety protocols while away (masking, social distancing, avoiding indoor public venues). 

While these guidelines are more stringent than the state guidelines, we trust that families will adhere to them to keep our whole community healthy and safe.

We will continue our diagnostic (RT-PCR) COVID testing program with the Broad Institute, testing all students, faculty, and staff scheduled to be our building. These tests would involve the nasal swabs that only go a short distance into the nose (the anterior nasal swab method). 

COVID testing is required to attend classes in person. All in-person students will be tested twice weekly, including on Monday (or the first school day of the school week, in the event of a Monday holiday). Students who miss the school-administered tests must show a negative COVID test result obtained independently. Students can attend classes remotely until they receive test results.

Completion of the Coronavirus Information Notice and Consent form is also required for all students who will attend in-person classes. (See the Back-to-School Forms page in our Parent Portal.) If families do not want their child to be tested, they will be asked to learn remotely.

Test results typically arrive within 36 hours; we will report any positive cases to families, faculty, and staff via email in accordance with the reporting protocols outlined in our reopening plan. (Also see “Reporting of Confirmed Cases.”) The Broad Institute would handle reporting any positive tests to the appropriate state and local health boards. The Cambridge Innovation Center will also conduct contact tracing in the event of a positive case. 

All students, teachers, and staff will be required to wear masks while in the building. The expectation is that students will bring their own masks: 3-layered fabric mask, surgical mask, etc. See CDC recommendations. Homemade masks are acceptable if they provide adequate protection—typically three layers of fabric. A good indication that a homemade mask is providing sufficient protection is that you can not see through it when you hold it up to the light, and you cannot blow a candle out when wearing it. A handkerchief or bandanna around the mouth and nose is not sufficient. The school will have a supply of masks for students who lose or forget their own.  

Mask Breaks

Students may not remove their masks while in the building (including—and especially—in the bathroom) unless they are seated in their assigned lunchroom and eating, specifically during lunch and/or recess. Note: Students cannot converse with each other inside the building unless masked.

However, students may go outside for brief, infrequent mask breaks. (We recommend a quick walk over to the Commonwealth Mall.) Teachers should treat these as necessary “bio” breaks, with students free to leave the classroom as needed and within reason. Students should observe all other health and safety protocols during and around those mask breaks, including maintaining six or more feet of distance from others and washing their hands upon reentering the building.

Hand washing will be required upon entering the building. Hand sanitizer will be provided in our lobbies and in every classroom. Hand washing or sanitizing will be required at the start and end of each classroom rotation, after using the restroom, and before lunch as well. 

Everyone in the building should maintain 3 feet of physical distance from others at all times. Strong evidence indicates that, with the measures we have in place, a reduction to 3-foot spacing entails negligible increase in risk of transmission. 

All desks and workstations have been pre-measured and distanced at least 3 feet apart, and hallways and stairs will be one-way to allow for distancing (Commonwealth stairs up; Dartmouth, down). Also see "Building Logistics."

All students must be fully immunized in accordance with Massachusetts state law. Please login to Magnus and confirm receipt of vaccination.

All students, faculty, and staff will also be required to get an influenza vaccination. 

Commonwealth’s maintenance staff will clean the building every night and throughout the day. This includes disinfecting shared surfaces such as handrails and doorknobs. Students and staff will also be asked to clean their individual desks or workstations before and after use, with cleaning products provided. 

The air in our building will be filtered and exchanged via:

• Open windows, required whenever weather permitting
• Supplemental HEPA filters in every room, including teachers’ offices and bathrooms: Where or when fresh air is not possible, we rely on the filters and HVAC. They will filter out more than 99.9% of all particles 0.1 micron or larger. This includes virtually all virus-carrying particles, including coronavirus particles, which average .125 microns. The HEPA filters in our classrooms will add six air changes per hour. We will change the filters regularly, per instructions.
• Our building’s five-year-old HVAC system, which brings fresh air into the Cafegymnatorium (7 changes per hr), Annex (5 changes), and lobbies and hallways (1-10 changes, depending on the space)

Following health and safety protocols—protecting ourselves and each other—while in our building is critical while we remain in a pandemic state. Given the seriousness of the coronavirus, any student who does not comply with measures aimed at keeping our community healthy may be subject to disciplinary action. 

We require all members of our community to adhere to the guidance on this page, any expectations posted in our school building or shared via email, and any instructions given to self-isolate or quarantine. 

Students will be expected to hold themselves and each other accountable as well, and they should inform an adult when they see behavior that jeopardizes the health of others.

According to the CDC, COVID-19 is mostly spread person-to-person by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, sneeze, or even sing. The disease is extremely contagious, and individuals may spread it to others without feeling sick themselves or before developing the signs and symptoms of the disease. Although many people who are infected do not experience serious symptoms, tragically, some become seriously ill and even die.

It is not possible to reduce the transmission risk to zero in any setting. There will be some residual risk even after significant targeted, science-backed, and layered risk reduction measures are implemented. Even with all of our precautions in place, students be may exposed to COVID-19 and contract the disease while they are in the building; they may transmit the disease to others, including members of their households; and that as a result, they and members of their household may experience COVID-19 symptoms and may require isolation, quarantine, and hospitalization.

Commonwealth consults the following agencies as our official sources of information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic:

• CDC
• WHO
• MA Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
• MA Department of Health
• NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools)
• AISNE (Association of Independent Schools in New England)
• NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council)

In addition to reporting confirmed cases (see “Reporting of Confirmed Cases”) via email, we will send an email to all families, faculty, and staff every weekday by 5:00 p.m. sharing COVID test results, if relevant, and the number of individuals, if any, sent home that day due to COVID symptoms and required to test before returning to school. 

The goal of the daily health screening survey is to proactively prevent symptomatic individuals from entering our building. However, should a student exhibit any symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 while at school, the following steps will be taken:

• The student reports their symptom(s) to their teacher or classroom monitor. (Teachers may also recognize symptoms in their students.) Teacher or monitor calls Stephanie Poynter, the school’s medical point of contact, to report a possible case (spoynter@commschool.org or 617-266-7525).
• The teacher or monitor escorts the student to a dedicated medical isolation room on the first floor.
• Ms. Poynter, working with our consulting nurse, evaluates the student’s symptoms. If symptomatic, the student should leave the school as soon as possible:
  • If a caregiver can pick them up from school, the student must wait in the dedicated medical isolation room.
  • If the student drove, biked, or walked themselves to school, they may leave immediately. 
  • We strongly recommend avoiding public transportation or carpools in the case of suspected infection. This can increase the risk of any potential disease to those on public transportation. 
• The student should be tested for COVID-19 (find test sites here).* Following testing:
  • Student should isolate at home until test results are returned.
  • If the test is negative: the student may return to school, provided they feel well enough to do so and have been asymptomatic for twenty-four hours.
  • If the test is positive: see Response to Confirmed Infection, below. 

Faculty and staff who develop symptoms at school will be asked to return home. The staff member should be tested for COVID-19 (test sites here).** Following testing:

• Staff member should isolate at home until test results are returned.
  • If the test is negative: the staff member may return to school, provided they feel well enough to do so and have been asymptomatic for twenty-four hours.
  • If the test is positive: see Response to Confirmed Infection, below. 
• These individuals will not be permitted to return to school until it is safe to do so.

* An individual who does not wish to be (or cannot be) tested must instead isolate for 10 days and until asymptomatic. 

Also see "Daily COVID Update."

In the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case, communications about potential exposures will be sent to community members via email. 

Infected individuals will be asked to remain off campus until the symptoms have abated and they are declared no longer contagious and cleared to return to school by a medical professional. Any students, faculty, or staff who were in proximity (according to our seating charts) to the positive individual will be required to quarantine for 10 days or produce a negative COVID test administered 5 days after the known exposure.

Should a student, faculty, or staff member—or a member of their household—test positive for COVID-19, they should inform Front Office Manager Stephanie Poynter immediately (spoynter@commschool.org or 617-266-7525). 

In the case of an individual testing positive for COVID who was in the building in the 48 hours prior to confirmed infection, we will send—at a minimum—three tiers of communications to families:

• We will notify all families that we have had an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 in the building in the 48 hours prior to testing.
• We will notify all families of students who were in class with but not adjacent to the infected individual that their child was near the infected individual, and we do not require their child to self-isolate.
• We will notify the families of students who sat adjacent to the infected individual for a class period (or longer) that their child was near the infected individual. Those students would be required to quarantine for 10 days before returning to school or produce a negative COVID test administered 5 days after the known exposure.

The daily COVID update will also note if any students were sent home that day due to being symptomatic.

No student is required to attend in-person classes. All students have the option to learn remotely at any time.

Students cannot casually switch from remote to in-person classes and vice versa. This is because, for students attending in-person classes, knowing who is in the building is critical to ensuring the safety of all students, faculty, and staff. And, for students attending classes remotely, knowing who will be joining a class virtually helps teachers plan their lessons and attend to the needs of all students.

Any student who requests a change from remote to in-person learning or vice versa must notify the school—the front office, the Assistant Head, or the Headmaster—and receive approval for the change. Students may not simply show up at school and indicate that they have changed to in-person learning, for example. Any student requesting a variation must present their request to the Assistant Head or Headmaster and receive approval as well.

Reminder, too, that no student may attend in-person classes without having a completed Informed Consent form on file.

Before School

Upon entering the building—and washing their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water in their designated bathroom—students must go straight to their first class, even if they arrive before class starts at 8:30 a.m. 

After School

Students may return home at the end of their final class if they wish. Those students remaining at school (for example, students waiting for a ride home) must return to their assigned lunch room while inside the building. Monitors will circulate in the building to provide supervision.

Students may leave the school building (for example, to take a walk or to socialize), just as they might during a free period. Students must follow all health and safety protocols when reentering the building, including washing their hands immediately. They must also return to their assigned room.

Students must leave by 5:00 p.m., per usual, when the building is closed for the night. 

Also see "Student Clubs and Organizations."

Our student attendance policy remains largely as outlined in our Parent-Student Handbook. In general, students should not miss school for reasons other than illness or family emergency, attending classes either in person or virtually. 

If a student exhibits any symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 requiring them to stay at home, we ask that they consider if they feel well enough to attend virtual classes. For example, a student may have a cough, which would require their staying home, but if they otherwise feel fine, they may attend their classes virtually. 

When in doubt, stay home!

Students who arrive late or leave early because they have free periods must notify Stephanie Poynter. Before the beginning of the school day, she should know when we will be expecting your child that day.

Students will be spaced six feet apart in assigned classrooms when eating inside. Faculty and staff monitors will supervise snack and lunch periods to ensure safety protocols are being followed.

Snack

Students can pick up their recess snack from a table in the hallway by the elevators, observing social distancing and foot-traffic patterns as usual. They should then go to their assigned recess classroom and seat for virtual announcements. 

Lunch

Whenever weather permits, students will eat lunch outside on the Commonwealth mall, where they must also observe social distancing and wear masks when not eating. 

If eating inside, students will be spaced six feet apart in assigned classrooms and seats. They may not talk while unmasked and eating inside.

Lunch will consist of two hot bar lines, where kitchen staff will serve students, and a grab-and-go salad bar and accoutrement station. Students must observe social distancing and foot-traffic patterns as usual.

Students and staff should review menus (shared on our website, via email, and on Virtual Commonwealth) so they can order quickly. Those with a free period before lunch are encouraged to come down and order early.
 

All traffic will enter our building through the door at 151 Commonwealth Avenue and exit via the door on Dartmouth Street or the Cafegymnatorium door by the podium.

All students MUST use their prox card to enter and exit the building. Please let Ms. Poynter know before the start of school if you cannot locate your card. Bicyclists will enter through the garden door and exit through the door in the gym by the podium. Hand-sanitizer stations will be near each door as well.

Upon entering the building in the morning, students must wash their hands with soap and water and then go directly to their 1st period classroom. Faculty and staff will also be required to wash hands upon entering the building. 

The health and safety protocols outlined above still apply during time spent in the classroom.

Desks will be placed to accommodate the 3-foot physical distancing requirement. Strong evidence indicates that, with the measures we have in place, a reduction to three-foot spacing entails negligible increase in risk of transmission. In-person students must sit in their assigned seats to allow for contact tracing in the event of a confirmed COVID case. 

Fully remote students will join their classes via Virtual Commonwealth, as they have been throughout this academic year. If securing the necessary technology to participate in classes is a financial burden for your family, please contact Director of Technology Jeff Racioppi.
 

To reduce congestion, foot traffic within our halls, including stairs, will flow in one direction. The Commonwealth entrance stairs will be used to go up; Dartmouth Street stairs, down. Signage and floor markings will help guide the flow of traffic around the building, and faculty and staff will be on hand to monitor compliance.

Standing and congregating in the hallways, even when socially distant, is discouraged.

Only one person may use the bathrooms at a time, including the multi-stall bathroom in the basement and on the third floor. Masks must remain on while using the facilities.  

When not in use, the bathroom door should be propped open to improve air circulation. HEPA filters, which filter out more than 99% of the virus-carrying aerosols and particles and change the air in a room at least twice per hour (in addition to circulation provided by our HVAC system), will be placed in every bathroom as well.

Students, faculty, and staff can use only the bathroom assigned to them; bathroom assignments are posted on the door. 

Cubbies will not be used. To reduce the risk of infection via contaminated objects, students must keep their personal items (backpacks, laptops, etc.) with them at all times. Sharing items will be prohibited.

Public Transportation

Anyone taking public transportation to and from the school should follow public safety guidelines while on board, including wearing a mask at all times, disinfecting hands and surfaces, and practicing social distancing. The MBTA provides crowding information for riders that may be useful in planning your trip.

We encourage students, faculty, and staff to exercise particular caution when using public transportation.

Bicycling

Anyone riding a bicycle to school is invited to store it for the day in the Annex. We will have additional bike racks available there. Students bringing their bike into the building should enter the building using the garden door to the lower level and exit via the Cafegymnatorium door by the podium. 

Water fountains are for refilling water bottles only. Students may not drink from them. Students should bring water bottles to use the touchless water dispenser. Cups will be provided if needed. 

As always, faculty and staff advisors are available to answer questions and counsel students and families, and we encourage students and families to connect with their advisor during this period of adjustment.

Advisors will continue to meet weekly with advisees in person (appropriately socially distanced and in designated areas) or online as makes sense. 

Maintaining and forging relationships remains as important as ever, and even though spending time together will look quite different in our socially distant world, students will still have opportunities to do so in class and through their extracurricular activities. 

Beyond those scheduled events, if students wish to socialize before class or during a free period, they can do so outside, still wearing masks and maintaining a physical distance of no less than six feet apart.