2020-21 Reopening Plans

Click here to download a sample EL schedule for yellow/orange phases, and watch a message from EL Principal Kelly Kelly and Assistant Principal Kim Washington below. 

Click here to download a sample ML schedule in yellow/orange phases, and watch a message from ML Principal Sarah Armstrong below. 

Click here to download a sample UL schedule for yellow/orange phases, and watch a message from UL Principal James Foreman below.

Led by Assistant Head of School for Academics David Long, Galloway's Academics Reopening Task Force is working on creating multiple models that best support teaching and learning for students and faculty for the 2020-2021 school year. This task force is addressing on campus teaching and learning, on campus teaching and learning with social distancing, off campus continuous learning, faculty support, and professional development. 

Additional members of this task force include 

• James Foreman (UL Principal) 
• Beth Wilson (UL Assistant Principal)  
• Sarah Armstrong (ML Principal) 
• Candace Bell (ML Assistant Principal)  
• Kelly Kelly (EL Principal) 
• Kim Washington (EL Assistant Principal)  
• Lexi Fields (Director of Teaching and Learning) 
• Cheryl Despathy (Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning) 
• Sue Feig (Director of Learning Support) 
• Amanda Edwards (Technology Integration and Innovation Specialist), Peggy Benkeser (Integrated Learning Specialist) 
• Bayless Fleming (Associate Director of Admissions) 
• Kyle Johnson (Director of Technology) 
• Lauren Holt (UL Faculty)
• Kellly Flicek (UL Faculty)
• Leah Berryhill (ML Faculty)
• Mat Fallon (ML Faculty)
• Roy Lander (ML Faculty)
• Lane Miller (ML Faculty)
• Elissa Marele (ML Faculty)
• Erin Ray (ML Faculty)
• Ashley Ackerman (EL Faculty)
• Suzanne Szilagyi (EL Faculty)

We acknowledge the atmosphere of uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic presents. Yet, in spite of this challenge, we can all be assured that Galloway is committed to ensuring the cultural, social, and emotional health and well-being of our community members.  Together, we are working to make sure our leadership, teaching, and learning practices are culturally, socially and emotionally competent.

Below are some seminal resources that have helped guide our planning and decision-making processes thus far.

• NAIS: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Independent Schools
• Center for Disease Control & Prevention: Health Equity
• Racial Equity Tools: COVID-19 - Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources
• Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL): Reunite, Renew, Thrive:  SEL Roadmap for Reopening School
• Teaching Tolerance: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus

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• COVID-19 in Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups
• COVID-19 - Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources
• Reducing Stigma
• Stop the Spread of Rumors
• How to Respond to Coronavirus Racism
• COVID-19 and Health Equity—A New Kind of “Herd Immunity”
• Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus
• On-line Teaching can be Culturally Responsive
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• Coping With Stress
• Reunite, Renew, Thrive:  SEL Roadmap for Reopening School
• Social-Emotional Learning Should Be Priority During COVID-19 Crisis
• SEL & Mental Health Resources for COVID-19
• Social-Emotional Learning During COVID 19 Crisis: Equity Lens Reflection
• Pursuing Social and Emotional Development Through a Racial Equity Lens: A Call to Action
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• Trauma-Informed School Strategies during COVID-19
• Trauma Sensitive School Check-List 
• Toolkit for K-12 Schools
• A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus
• Supporting Students Through Coronavirus
• On-line Teaching can be Culturally Responsive
• Toolkit for Shelter from the Storm
• Childhood Trauma Toolkit for Educators
• PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA: Preschool Students
• PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA: Elementary School Students
• PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA: Middle School Students
• PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA: High School Students
• Self-Care for Educators
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• All classrooms are set up with the maximum number of students they can hold with seating at an appropriate social distance. Five modular classrooms will also be placed on The Blue. 
• Hand sanitizing stations will be placed around campus entrances and in each classroom. Outdoor hand washing stations will also be placed around campus.
• Thorough cleaning and sanitization will occur nightly and will be increased throughout the school day. 
• Water fountains will only be used for bottle filling. 
• Plexiglass barriers will be installed at the receptionist desk, administrative assistants desks and UTAP laptop service bar.
• ML and UL lockers will not be used. 
• All cloth-covered furniture is now in storage; theatre seating will not be used.  

• In all buildings except for Gresham, we have upgraded the air filters to MERV 13 rating. The Gresham building has been outfitted with a bipolar ionization system. Because Gresham is over 100 years old, the building's air filtration systems were not compatible with the upgraded filters. Installing ionization technology is one way we can improve our HVAC system while respecting the historic structure of the building. 

All buildings will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized at night, disinfecting handrails, doorknobs and restrooms. When and where necessary sanitation can take place using mechanical and electrostatic sprayers. Teachers and staff will clean high touch areas using Bioesque Botanical disinfectant (EPA-approved for use against COVID-19 and environmentally safe) throughout the day, classrooms, any toys, books or supplies used during the day, desks, shared tables in classrooms; any classroom restrooms will also be cleaned. Playground equipment will be disinfected daily with approved disinfectants and cleaners.

Galloway's maintenance crew (TMS) will provide 3 extra day porters to focus on high traffic common areas: countertops, sinks, door push bars, door handles, light switches, handrails, common areas, bathrooms.

Led by Director of Operations & Facilities Julie Schatz, Galloway's Facilities Reopening Task Force is preparing all campus facilities and procuring supplies for all phases of reopening. This task force is addressing PPE, cleaning and sanitation, campus space restrictions, and protocols for athletics facilities and rentals.

Additional members of this task force include:

• James Calleroz White (Head of School)
• Veronique Kessler (CFO)
• Josh Ray (TMS Director of Operations)
• Carlos Reyes (TMS Facilities Manager)
• Lane Shelton (Facilities Projects & Procurement Manager)
• Andrew Tulowitzki, (Director of Athletics 9-12)
• Kiesha Brown, (Director of Athletics K-8)
• Katrine Trantham (Director of Summer & After School Programs)
• Wendy Rohm (Nurse) 
• Nagib Sued (FLIK Chef)

In addition to physical distancing and handwashing, face coverings can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and significantly reduce the risk of infection to the wearer. Masks will be required for all students, faculty, and staff; the school is providing clear masks for all faculty, including face shields when requested. Approved face coverings include two-layer washable cloth masks, surgical style disposable masks and KN95 or N95 masks. Face coverings with valves, bandanas, or fleece gaiter coverings are not permitted.

We understand that the use of face masks can be difficult for some students, especially our younger students, and we recommend families begin practicing extended mask wearing with their child(ren) to make sure they are comfortable. Supervised “breaks” will be provided throughout the day that will allow for rests from wearing face coverings when appropriately socially distanced and in fresh air scenarios. 

Masks are strongly recommended for all athletic activities. Masks must be worn when entering and exiting the building and when a student is not in active play. Masks should only be taken off when actively participating in a high-intensity sport where breathing may be impaired or when participating in an outdoor activity where athletes can properly socially distance themselves; mealtime is another noted exception.

It is strongly suggested that students bring two masks each day in case one gets soiled or misplaced. Disposable masks will be available in the event that someone accidentally forgets their mask. 

After the initial start of school, we will provide random testing to ensure the continued safety of all members of our community. Students and faculty will be randomly tested on an ongoing basis throughout the school year. LifeHope Labs will coordinate with Galloway leadership to assign students and faculty to cohorts using grade and classroom data. A cohort is a group of students and faculty that have close contact with each other.  A cohort will usually be made up of a class of students and their teachers or an additional affinity group. Extensive efforts will be made to minimize contact between different cohorts. Cohorts will be randomly sampled on a weekly basis at a 5% probability rate to ensure statistical significance and optimal detection power. Notifications will be sent to faculty regarding which students and faculty are to be randomly tested. Additionally, parents will receive alerts when their child has been selected to test.

All Galloway parents may utilize LifeHope lab testing resources at the lab on Roswell Road on an elective basis or with physician-order. Any parent tests will be paid for by the parents or their insurance companies.

Due to the nature of our COVID testing policies and our commitment to keeping our community safe, we have revised our absence policies on page 14-15 of the Galloway Family Handbook to reflect our overall COVID testing protocols. If your child misses 2 sequential days for an unexcused absence (ie: vacation), then you will have to have your child tested at LifeHope labs at your expense and receive a negative result prior to returning to school. If your student misses three sequential days of school for an excused absence (illness, funeral, etc), you must contact school nurse Wendy Rohm for further guidance before you are allowed to return to school.

These policies shall remain in effect for as long as we are continuing to do COVID testing of our school community. The school has worked extremely hard to put our testing protocols in place, and missing school for unexcused absences has the potential to negatively impact the health of our community. Given the nature of our learning this year and what we are asking our teachers to do, your support and cooperation are deeply needed and expected in terms of having your child(ren) here when we are in session. We highly discourage taking vacation during the school year with the exception of regular scheduled holidays or already scheduled school days off. 

Isolation Policy and Protocol

If a student exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, they will immediately leave their classroom or building location and be escorted to the designated isolation room in the nurse’s clinic where they will remain until a parent/guardian can pick them up in one hour or less from notification. 

Return to Work or School Policy

Symptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19 or suspected COVID-19 can return to school after:

• At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications AND
• Improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); AND
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared; AND
•  Tests negative for COVID-19

Asymptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19 can return to school after:

• At least 10 days have passed since the positive laboratory test and the person remains asymptomatic; AND
• Note: asymptomatic persons who test positive and later develop symptoms should follow the guidance for symptomatic persons above
• Tests negative for COVID-19

Asymptomatic persons who have a known exposure to a person with COVID-19 may remain in school but will be tested within 24 hours.

Galloway shares its most up-to-date testing rates in the Coronavirus Information resource board in MySchoolApp.
 

If a student or faculty member should receive a positive test result, potentially affected students and faculty (generally, their cohort) will quarantine and transition to continuous learning. During that time, we will continually assess the situation by following established contact tracing protocols. These include staying in constant contact with affected families and faculty regarding their symptoms and consulting with public health professionals to determine who else from the cohort needs to be tested. Ultimately, these recommendations will help decide when members of the cohort can safely return to campus. Increased random testing will occur within the cohort for two weeks following the cohort’s return to campus. Individuals who test positive will engage in continuous learning until they meet the qualifications under the Return to Work or School Policy.

Return dates will be determined by the school nurse and will be communicated to parents, faculty, and staff based on the following criteria:

Symptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19 can return to school after:

• Resolution of fever (100F) for 72 hours (3 days) without the use of fever reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) AND
• Improvement in symptoms; AND
• At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

Asymptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19 can return to school after:

• At least 10 days have passed since the positive laboratory test and the person remains asymptomatic.
• Note, asymptomatic persons who test positive and later develop symptoms should follow the guidance for symptomatic persons above

Asymptomatic persons who have a known exposure to a close contact with COVID-19 can return to school after:

• 14 days has passed since last contact with infected person 
• If this person is tested for COVID-19 during the 14 day quarantine period, a negative test result would not change or decrease the time a person is quarantined, but a positive test would move the person into one of the above categories, based on whether they are still asymptomatic or have developed symptoms.

In the event that a symptomatic person suspected of having COVID-19 refuses testing for COVID-19, they will be presumed positive and can return to school after:

• Meeting the threshold for return for symptomatic persons with confirmed COVID-19

The CDC outlined the importance of reopening schools this fall, writing, "Aside from a child’s home, no other setting has more influence on a child’s health and well-being than their school."

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Education have released guidance to help schools plan for a safe return to in-person instruction in fall 2020.

DPH recommends schools use this guidance which takes into account local COVID-19 transmission in the community, to make decisions regarding opening for in-person education. The CDC has also provided guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in school settings.

Led by Director of Development Paige Smith, Galloway's Health and Well Being Reopening Task Force is planning for ongoing physical and mental health and wellness preparedness and creating policies and procedures for faculty, staff, and student safety upon returning to campus.

This task force is also addressing issues such as the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students in response to the virus, as well as COVID-19 testing.

Additional members on the task force include:

• James Calleroz White (Head of School)
• Wendy Rohm (Nurse) 
• Sue Feig (Director of Learning Support)
• Silvette Bullard (UL Counselor)
• Mary Giattina (ML Counselor)
• Lynn Mandelbaum (EL Counselor)
• Karen Bradberry (Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer)
• Felicia McCrary (Director of Student Life)
• Julie Schatz (Director of Operations & Facilities)
• Andrew Tulowitzky (Director of Athletics 9-12)
• Kiesha Brown (Director of Athletics K-8)
• Gordon Mathis (Head of Community Engagement)
• Mary Sessions (Director of Admissions)
• Meghan Stauts (Director of Marketing & Communications)

All faculty received training in the following key areas to prepare for the return to school.  While each teacher may not implement all of the tools listed, they will have expertise in each category for their students. The digital tools chosen are based on the developmental and learning needs of the students and therefore look different for Kindergarten vs. Upper Learning. 

Key Technology Training

• Screencasting and Video Recording. Tools may include:  Zoom, Google Meet, ScreenCast O Matic, Loom, QuickTime
• Learning Management Systems: Level specific: Canvas (UL), Google Classroom (ML), SeeSaw (EL)
• Interactive Lessons: These tools may include: Flipgrid, Peardeck, EdPuzzle, Quizziz, Kahoot, Quizlet, GoFormative, GimKit, Google tools that support collaboration (Docs, Slides, Sites), SeeSaw, as well as content-specific tools. Content-specific tools could include: Online math textbooks, ALEKS, IXL, Desmos, databases, etc. 
• Wayfinding Strategies: This training provides consistent structures for digital navigation similar to the routines and protocols used in face-to-face learning.
• Communication and feedback: This training focuses on how to use digital tools to optimize collaboration between students, communication, and feedback. 

All faculty read Neuroteach this summer, a book which combines important lessons from both cognitive psychology and neuroscience to provide practical advice to educators to support teaching in learning in-person and online. 

Neuroteach Canvas Course: This course serves to highlight specific online learning tools and strategies while diving into the content of Neuroteach. Faculty are experiencing the course through the lens of a student, which improves empathy and showcases the importance of online components like wayfinding and community building.

Many faculty took part in summer PD from Global Online Academy and other organizations.

• Zoom & Classroom webcams for live streaming as well as video recording.
• 1:1 Devices for every student grades 4 -12
• Webcams provide a richer online experience for students who choose to stay home if we are having on-campus learning. 
• A robust network to support increased online activity.
• SeeSaw and or Google Classroom for grades PK-4
• Google Classroom for grades 5-8
• Canvas for grades 9-12 and faculty learners
• Google Apps for Education suite for grades PK-12