Reopening Safely: Fall 2021

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Commonwealth has relied on expertise from public health and infectious disease experts as we have implemented health and safety protocols. Consistent with that approach, the school strongly recommends that our age-eligible students be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Though the COVID-19 vaccine is not currently required of Commonwealth students, if and when Massachusetts mandates the COVID-19 vaccine among other required immunizations for school-age children, we will be following state law and also requiring vaccination of our students, subject to the medical and religious exemptions recognized by our state. The school will not accept a religious exemption for only the COVID-19 vaccine if families are complying with other state immunization requirements.

In support of recommending that students be vaccinated, we offer the following:

• A fully vaccinated student population is the best way to protect the health of students, employees, and the broader community against COVID-19.
• Guidance from the CDC emphasizes that vaccinations against COVID-19 are safe and effective and offer protections against variants. Vaccines are now widely available.
• This public health approach is consistent with longstanding efforts across the United States to protect students of all ages from a wide range of serious and contagious diseases.

We are tracking student vaccinations as part of our required back-to-school forms (shared via Magnus Health), and we will ask families to update the student’s vaccine status if it changes later in the year. This information will be maintained confidentially and will only be used to help us to determine what safeguards we will need to have in place as we welcome families back this fall and otherwise update policies throughout the school year. 

Because we are not requiring the COVID-19 vaccine at this time, we will be requiring routine testing for the unvaccinated, as well as universal mask wearing and other measures recommended by state and federal agencies.
 
Additional guidance may be issued by these agencies before the start of the school year and will likely be ongoing, so our policies and protocols may continue to evolve. We will keep our community informed and ask for your continued partnership as we work to emerge from the pandemic. 

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

Because we are not requiring COVID-19 vaccinations at this time—and given the CDC’s recommendation that K-12 schools should require masks, the heightened risk associated with variants of COVID-19, and other factors—we will require masking of all Commonwealth students, teachers, and staff, as well as visitors, even if they have been fully vaccinated. 

Masks will be required while in the building and in all common spaces, including classrooms, bathrooms, and the hallways. Masks may be removed while individuals are actively eating inside the building (also see “Building Logistics”). Talking while unmasked is not permitted. 

Masks are optional only: 

• While outdoors; 
• During some athletic activities (see "Athletics" below); and
• For faculty or staff members in their offices.

Per CDC order masks will also be required on any school-provided transportation, including buses to and from any athletic competitions.

The expectation is that individuals will bring their own masks (3-layered fabric mask, surgical mask, etc.). See recommendations. Homemade masks are acceptable if they provide adequate protection—typically 3 layers of fabric, with a snug fit around the nose and mouth. A handkerchief or bandanna is not sufficient. The school will have a supply of masks for students who lose or forget their own.  

We will conduct routine safety check testing (pooled testing) of our entire community, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, every week. These tests will be administered in coordination with CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) Health, the official testing partner of the state of Massachusetts. CIC Health requires a separate testing consent form, which all parents will need to complete on behalf of every child they have enrolled at Commonwealth. 

Any student, faculty, or staff member unable to take the weekly test test must take an independent PCR or rapid test and report the results to Stephanie Poynter before attending school.

If a Commonwealth student or member of their household tests positive for COVID-19, they must contact Stephanie Poynter immediately: spoynter@commschool.org or 617-266-7525. Also see “Response Protocols and Communications.”

Students, faculty, and staff will maintain at least 3 feet of social distancing from others whenever possible, including when outside and unmasked. 

We are no longer employing the daily health screening questionnaire for students, faculty, and staff. However, all visitors must complete a health screening questionnaire, and they must also check in at the front office. Those who do not pass the screening will not be permitted in the building. (Also see “Visitors.”)

Our expectation and exhortation is that students, faculty, and staff stay home if they feel sick. Per the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, we have updated our COVID symptom screening, so only individuals exhibiting one of the bolded symptoms or a combination of symptoms below will be asked to remain at home until they receive a negative COVID test or meet other criteria to return. 

• Fever (100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• New loss of taste or smell
• Muscle aches or body aches
• Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
• Sore throat, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
• Headache when in combination with other symptoms
• Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms
• Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other known causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms

Should a student exhibit symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 while at school, they should report to the front office/Office Manager Stephanie Poynter. We will then follow the CDC guidance for attending to a symptomatic individual in school.

Though we benefit from a largely vaccinated population, we are still in a pandemic state, and protecting our community remains critical. Given the seriousness of COVID-19, any member of the community 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. 

All members of the community will be expected to hold themselves and each other accountable as well, and they should share their concerns with school leadership when they see behavior that jeopardizes the health of others.

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

• CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
• Massachusetts 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 the event of a confirmed COVID-19 case, communications about potential exposures will be sent to community members via email. We will follow the CDC guidance for attending to a positive case in school. Infected individuals will also follow CDC guidance for discontinuing home isolation. 

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

Our expectation and exhortation is that students, faculty, and staff stay home if they feel sick. Should a student exhibit symptoms that could indicate COVID-19 while at school, they should report to the front office/Office Manager Stephanie Poynter. We will then follow the CDC guidance for attending to a symptomatic individual in school.

Our expectation during the fall of 2021 is that, unless the school has granted a special dispensation for a student to attend remotely, all students will attend classes in person. Given the burdens of both teaching and learning in a hybrid classroom, we cannot allow students to be remote for convenience (e.g., to accommodate a doctor’s appointment or to take an earlier train home). Our student attendance policy remains largely as outlined in the Parent-Student Handbook: in general, students should not miss school for reasons other than illness or family emergency. 

Under circumstances when a student is quarantined because of possible COVID-19 exposure or symptoms (see “Quarantining”), required to isolate because they themselves have tested positive for COVID-19, or when a student is out sick for more than two days but feels physically well enough to attend classes, we will consider temporarily allowing a student to observe class remotely. Under those circumstances, the family should reach out to Assistant Head of School Rebecca Jackman as soon as possible to coordinate this temporary arrangement, as it will be tailored to the individual student and therefore require substantial logistical planning. In these special instances, the student may listen in on their classes, but there should be no expectation of a fully immersive hybrid learning experience. 

Should state public health conditions reach a point where we feel it is unwise to have the building at full capacity or there is indication of COVID-19 transmission within the building, then we may decide to move to hybrid or fully remote operations for a period.

Snack

Students can pick up their recess snack from a table in the hallway by the elevators, observing social distancing. They should then go to their assigned recess classroom for virtual announcements. (Also see “Recess.”) Faculty and staff monitors will supervise snack periods to ensure safety protocols are being followed. Room assignments will be shared closer to the beginning of the school year.

Lunch

Whenever weather permits, students will eat lunch outside on the Commonwealth mall. If eating inside, students will be in assigned rooms with limited capacities to allow for social distancing. They may not talk while unmasked and eating inside. Faculty and staff monitors will supervise lunch periods to ensure safety protocols are being followed. Additional guidance will be shared closer to the beginning of the school year.

Lunch will consist of two hot bar lines and a grab-and-go salad bar and accoutrement station. Students must observe social distancing as usual. Students and staff should review menus so they can order efficiently. Those with a free period before lunch are encouraged to come down and order early.

Student club meetings during lunch are permitted. (Also see “Student Clubs.”)

• Open windows, required whenever weather permits
• 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 SARS-CoV-2 particles, which average .125 microns. The HEPA filters in our classrooms will add 6 air changes per hour. 
• Our building’s HVAC system, which brings fresh air into the Cafegymnatorium (7 changes per hour), Annex (5 changes per hour), and lobbies and hallways (1-10 changes per hour, depending on the space)

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.

Bicycling

Anyone riding a bicycle to school is invited to store it for the day in the Annex using the racks provided. 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. 

All visitors are required to check in with the front office to complete a health screening questionnaire. Those who do not pass the screening will be asked to leave. (Also see “Health Screenings.”)

Starting October 15, 2021, applicants and their families will be welcomed to the building for guided tours and limited day visits, scheduled in advance with our Admissions team. These visiting prospective students must provide proof of vaccination or results of a negative COVID-19 test; they must also pass a health screening. 

In-person student club meetings are permitted whenever the building is open: before school, during free periods and lunch, and after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We encourage student clubs to meet outside whenever possible. They are also free to meet virtually if they wish. 

Students must be masked as usual for all indoor meetings, including those held during lunch (though we remind students that they may not talk while eating and unmasked). Faculty supervision is not required for meetings, though faculty will circulate and monitor lunchtime activity. 

Prospective students and their families are encouraged to join us for one of two fall Virtual Open Houses, where they can experience Commonwealth’s dynamic classes and connect with our exceptional students and faculty.