About A-S

Reopening Plans for 2020-21 School Year

Allen-Stevenson's Reopening Plans for 2020-21 School Year




On-Site Learning

April 15, 2021 to the end of the school year

All Grades at 78th Street, 5 days a week, every week

Any boy who wishes to learn remotely may still do so.
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January 19, 2021 - March 19, 2021

K-4 - at 78th Street, 5 days a week
Grades 5 and 6 - at 78th Street Week 1 & remote Week 2
Grades 7 and 8 - remote Week 1 & at 78th Street Week 2

Any boy who wishes to learn remotely may do so.

Guiding Principles

 
  • Create a joyful learning environment that is the most equitable for ALL community members, which protects their physical and mental health, and safety.
  • Ensure that we deliver the best A-S Education that allows boys to experience academics, athletics and the arts -- deeply.
  • Continue to follow the health and safety guidelines as set out by city and state officials and public health authorities in our decision-making.
  • Allow for flexibility as circumstances change.

General FAQs

List of 2 frequently asked questions.

  • What will A-S Bridge 2.0, Allen-Stevenson's virtual learning plan, include?

    Our remote learning plan, A-S Bridge 2.0, takes into account what is developmentally appropriate for children in terms of their relationship to the screen and its effects on their well-being. In addition, it accounts for the varying lengths of time different age-groups can maintain their focus on learning delivered this way.

    What will be new since A-S Bridge 1.0 in the spring?

    • Increased synchronous “live” classes – including art, PE, and music

    • Expanded opportunities for collaborative projects

    • More frequent individual and private time with teachers

    •  New skills from summer professional development for online platforms (e.g., Canvas, Seesaw, Clever) and online tools

    •  1:1 iPad program for K-3

    • Systems to support increased independence of our youngest boys

    • More frequent teacher > parent communication/feedback

    • Continuation and expansion of online community activities
    • MS and US Online Lunch Chats and Affinity Groups
    • Weekly Activities that connect boys - Kahoots, Trivia
    • Monday Morning Meetings and LS Community Time 

    • Parent Education Opportunities

    • Increased Parent Connection Meetings

COVID-19 Information & Resources

At 78th St.

    • Allen-Stevenson Fall 2020 Reopening Plan Video

At 78th St. | Health & Safety

List of 11 items.

  • Daily Pre-Screening

    All individuals entering the school building must have their temperature checked before they enter the building each day – ideally, at home, prior to departing for school. Families and employees will be emailed a link each day from Ruvna, which the School currently uses for emergency drills. Questions will include a shortlist of symptoms that might indicate COVID-19 + status, and whether you have knowingly been in contact with someone who has tested positive in the past 14 days.
     
    If an individual does not get an all clear, they will be told not to come to school and to follow up with the School Nurse for further instructions.
     
    If someone does not complete the Ruvna remote health screening, they will not be allowed into the school building.
     

  • Pool Testing

    Pool testing will take place weekly for everyone in the school building. We think this new procedure is an important additional health and safety measure against the spread of the virus now that there will be a larger number of people coming into the building. We are working with JCM Analytics to conduct this weekly pool testing. You can find information on pool testing and answers to FAQs here.
     
    Process for Weekly Pool Testing
    • Boys will be given a lanyard with an ID card containing a specific QR code that identifies them, which will be kept at school.
    • Sample kits will be distributed to your son each Thursday, to be taken home.
    • You will collect your son’s swab at home. (It is a nasal swab, but only with a 1-2cm insertion.) Click here for directions.
    • Samples need to be returned the next morning (Friday).
    • Designated A-S employees will collect the bags containing the sample from the boys in their classrooms by scanning their ID card along with the barcode on the sample bag.
     
    Every person who will be coming to the schoolhouse is required to be tested, and no student, faculty or staff member will be allowed into school the next week if they have not returned their sample for the pool testing.
     
    If there is a positive result, then we will follow the steps we have set in place according to New York DOH guidelines and in consultation with local health officials.
     

  • Nasal Swab Instructions for Pool Testing

  • Face Coverings

    Everyone who enters the school building must wear a face covering or mask that covers both the nose and mouth. These must be either 2 or 3-ply and can be disposable or cloth-based. NO gaiters or masks with valves or vents are permitted. If you choose to wear a face shield, it must be worn in conjunction with a mask.

    Students may remove their mask to eat in their classroom and will be given “mask breaks” for 10 minutes or less at the discretion of the teacher or facilitator, and if they can maintain an appropriate physical distance.

    Each student will be provided with two reusable and washable loop face masks.

    The School will have a supply of disposable surgical masks on hand for distribution in the case of loss or damage. 

  • Physical Distancing

    Allen-Stevenson will strive to maintain physical distancing of 6 feet between all individuals while in the school building. Directional signage will be used in the hallways and staircases.

    Children will be assigned to a classroom with a facilitator. Desks will be 6 feet apart and facing one direction. Each desk will have a polycarbonate surround.

    Middle and Upper School boys will not be using lockers this year. 

    Twelve feet of space will be required for Physical Education if it is held indoors.

  • Air Quality Management

    We installed MERV 13 air filters which will be changed frequently in all our HVAC equipment. The building management system will be adding more fresh air into the building and running more frequently. We also added a HALO-LED air purifier system to all our mixed air HVAC equipment. In addition, portable HEPA air purifiers and fans will be placed throughout the building. In the rooms without windows, we have an exchange of fresh air from the rooftop ventilation system.

    Click here to view a poster highlighting steps we have taken to prioritize clean air in the schoolhouse.



  • Hygiene Protocols

    Students, faculty and staff will be trained on proper hand and respiratory hygiene, including providing information to families and guardians on ways to reinforce this at home.
     
    Entrances, common areas or near shared workspaces will be equipped with hand sanitizing stations. No-touch dispensers for soap, sanitizer and paper towels will be provided.
     
    Extra time will be created in the schedule for handwashing, especially before and after snack, lunch, restroom breaks, movement /PE or times when people are traveling around the building.
     

  • Cleaning

    The School’s facilities team is primarily responsible for cleaning and disinfection. Classrooms, offices and common areas will be stocked with child-safe, CDC-approved disinfectant spray and wipes. High-touch areas, such as door handles railings and bathroom fixtures will be cleaned frequently throughout the day.
     
    Boys will each have their own personal classroom supplies (of pencils, crayons, paper, etc.), which will be labeled and stored separately from other individual’s materials.
     
    If someone is confirmed to have COVID-19 while at school, Allen-Stevenson will close off all areas used by the person and open outside windows to increase air circulation in the area, where possible. Other areas used by this person will also be cleaned and disinfected. 

  • Managing Ill Persons at School

    A dedicated Health Annex, separate from the Nurse’s Office, will be set up for isolation of students, faculty or staff with symptoms of COVID-19 until they can go home or to a healthcare facility. The Nurse’s Office will continue to be available for non-COVID problems.

  • Isolation and Quarantine Protocols

    If a person IS diagnosed with COVID-19 by a healthcare provider or has had symptoms, they should not be in school and should stay home until it has been 10 days since their first symptoms, it has been at least 24 hours since they had a fever, without using fever reducing medicine, and their symptoms have improved.
     
    Allen-Stevenson is responsible for notifying faculty and staff or families of students that they have come into close or proximate contact with a person with COVID-19. We will be using a high-tech tracking system in the case of an individual testing positive for COVID-19.
     
    Any student or staff member who had symptoms, but was NOT diagnosed with COVID-19, can return to school once there is no fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines and they have felt well for 24 hours.
     

  • Travel Quarantines

    Students, faculty and staff are expected to quarantine for 10 days if they have traveled to a state noncontiguous to New York or internationally. 

At 78th St. | School Modifications

List of 7 items.

  • Visitors

    For the safety of our students and faculty, we will be allowing only faculty, staff and students to go beyond the Reception Desk in the Lobby. Non-student family members, outside tutors, vendors or other individuals will not be permitted entry to the building without prior permission. 
     

  • Arrival and Departure

    Click here to see the arrivals and departures schedule for Phase 2.

    There will be a slightly staggered arrival and pick up for each grade, in order to facilitate proper distancing. All arrival times will occur between 8-9AM, with pickup being between 2-4PM. Exceptions are Extended Day. Entering and exiting the building will be through designated doorways specific to each age/grade level.
     
    If there is a line to enter the School outside the designated entryway, parents will wait in line with their sons outside the School. Parents/Guardians will be expected to wait with their child until they get cleared through a health screening, which includes verification that the School has received the Ruvna health submission. 



  • Community Events

    Community is incredibly important at Allen-Stevenson. 

    Our community events, such as Monday Morning Meetings, Lower School Community Time on Fridays, music concerts, recitals, and plays will be held virtually this year. Student affinity groups will meet during lunch.

    For parents, there will be parent chats to help provide support to parents and parent connection meetings for parents in a grade to come together to talk with the Division Head and the school psychologist. Curriculum Nights for each division will also be held virtually.

    Family gatherings will also be planned in conjunction with the Parents Association.
     

  • Social-Emotional Well-being

    Allen-Stevenson has a strong Social-Emotional Multi-System. The section teachers are responsible for the pastoral care of our students. In the Lower School, the boys have their homeroom teachers, and in the upper grades, boys have advisory groups where social-emotional learning is supported. The Lower School uses Responsive Classroom as the core. 

    In addition to the section teacher, the School’s part-time consulting psychologist is available to teachers and administrators for a consultation about student needs in the classroom.

    This coming year we will be introducing a K-8 racial literacy curriculum developed by Pollyanna. Lessons will be incorporated into our curriculum at appropriate points.
     

  • Music/Instruments/Athletics

    All music (chorus and orchestra) and instrumental lessons will continue to be held virtually, as was the case in the spring. 

    Interscholastic sports have been cancelled for the winter.
     

  • Lunch and Snacks

    The School will provide individually packaged boxed lunches and snacks for all students and employees working in the building. Families, older boys, faculty and staff will be provided with a form to be completed for the following week to make their menu selections. Boxed lunches and snacks will be delivered by the food service staff to the pods, including individually wrapped utensils and condiments. Students will eat their lunch while seated at their desks. All surfaces where food is consumed will be cleaned and disinfected at the conclusion of the period before school work resumes.
     

  • Transportation

    We encourage those of you who can walk, bike or scoot to school to do so. New bicycle and scooter racks will be available outside the school building once the scaffolding is removed on 78th Street.

    The School uses the NYC School Bus Service for some students. There are 2 school buses for arrivals and 3 for dismissal. We are awaiting guidance from the NYC DOE regarding updated policies in conjunction with COVID-19.
     


132 East 78th Street, New York, NY 10075-0381 - Phone: 212-288-6710
Allen-Stevenson’s distinctive “enlightened traditional” approach educates boys to become scholars and gentlemen.