Earlier this summer, Killington Mountain School (KMS) announced its measured approach for a safe return to academics and athletics during the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 8th, KMS will enter Phase 3 of our reopening plan, marking the start of our school year. This quick guide will outline the key aspects of Phase 3 for back-to-school planning. For the most up-to-date information and a detailed description of all policies and procedures, please refer to the resources located in the COVID-19 Communications section of the KMS website.
General Expectations
COVID-19 continues to be a health risk for our global population. While Vermont has some of the lowest rates of infection in the country, KMS remains vigilant in our efforts to prevent the spread of this virus. A member of the KMS community is expected to adhere to the following:
- Be patient. Many things will be different and will continue to change. It is crucial that we are all adaptable, positive, and supportive during this time.
- Follow all policies, procedures and posted signage.
- Stay home if you are ill, or suspect you may have been exposed to COVID-19.
- Communicate questions and concerns via email to healthsafety@killingtonmountainschool.org
Social Contract
We have a collective responsibility to protect ourselves and our greater community as we resume in-person academics and athletics. All faculty and students will be asked to sign a Social Contract, documenting their promise to adhere to all KMS COVID-19 policies and procedures.
Quarantine, Testing & Screening
Quarantine Expectations
All out of state students and faculty are expected to follow Vermont Cross State Travel Guidelines and complete an appropriate period of quarantine, as outlined by Vermont State guidance, before arriving on campus.
Testing
Before returning to campus, all faculty and students must submit confirmation of a negative COVID-19 viral test. If possible, tests should be administered within 14 days of a scheduled arrival date. It is recommended that individuals limit their exposure to others between the time of their test and their return date so that KMS may have better confidence in a negative test result. Our subsequent testing strategies are under review and will be modified as more information becomes available.
Any parties who receive a positive result should notify healthsafety@killingtonmoutnainschool.org and begin their period of isolation. A new return date will be scheduled for a time after a person is allowed to end their period of isolation, as dictated by CDC guidance.
Screening
In an effort to limit our community’s exposure to COVID-19, we have instituted screening protocols, including symptom and temperature checks.
Day Students and Faculty:
- Complete the Weekly Pre-Screening Form.
- Before leaving home each day, complete the At-Home Self Check.
- Each morning, complete the KMS On-Campus Arrival Screening.
Residential Students and Faculty:
- Before breakfast, complete the KMS On-Campus Arrival Screening.
- If you leave campus for an overnight period, completion of the Weekly Pre-Screening Form and the At-Home Self Check are required before reentry.
Symptomatic Containment
KMS has designated isolation space should an individual become symptomatic at any point while on campus. Barring the need for emergency medical attention, symptomatic faculty and students able to drive themselves home will be expected to depart campus immediately and self-isolate. Students unable to drive themselves home will need to be picked up by a parent or guardian within 1 hour for day students; and 48 hours for residential students. All students and faculty will need to follow the return-to-campus protocol outlined in the Phase 3 Manual before reentering campus.
Hand Washing
Students and faculty are expected to practice good hand hygiene. A designated handwashing station will be located in the front lobby of the school, and sinks are available in the majority of our classrooms. Hand sanitizer dispensers have also been placed throughout the building for use in conjunction with frequent hand washing.
Physical Distancing
Movement on campus has been designed to encourage cohorting whenever possible and reduce the number of close-contact interactions. All academic, athletic, and common spaces on campus have been closely examined to determine the appropriate number of occupants; and signs will be posted for quick assessment.
Face Coverings
All students and faculty are responsible for supplying their own masks for use on campus. Both cloth and paper masks are acceptable. Reusable face coverings should be cleaned daily. While masks are required to be worn at all times, there are a few exceptions:
- Residential students do not have to wear masks in their own rooms.
- Masks are not required while eating.
- Strenuous activity may prevent the effective use of a mask and coaches will gauge the necessity.
- Students and faculty are not required to wear a mask when occupying a space alone.
Boardingware
KMS has partnered with Boardingware, a boarding school management system, to streamline many of our daily processes. Among other functionalities, the Boardingware app will remind students and faculty to complete their COVID-19 daily screenings, submit meal requests, and even provide a way for students to sign in and out of the building. Parents and guardians will also be able to use the app to submit "leave approvals" for their child.
Academics, Daily Schedule & Building Use
Academic Calendar
KMS has created a tentative 2020-2021 Academic Calendar. Given the fluidity of this pandemic, the calendar will be reviewed and updates communicated in the event of any changes.
Continuity of Academics
KMS has long been a leader in distance learning. Our ability to flex and provide a hybrid learning experience is integral to our mission of supporting elite athletes in their pursuit of excellence. This summer, the Continuity of Academics Task Force examined our current remote learning practices and produced a set of recommendations to refine our approach and ensure continued academic success.
Daily Schedule
The daily schedule was created to maximize both academic and athletic time for students. We have made a few changes to the fall schedule:
- Condensed Academic Block: The academic block spans from 8:00am-1:05pm, reducing the amount of unstructured time during the academic day and increasing the duration of the athletic block in the afternoon.
- Extended Athletic Block: The athletic block covers 12:20pm-4:30pm. Coaches and athletes will use this time for dryland training and other sport-specific education and activities.
- Cohorts: KMS has created cohorts to limit group sizes and interactions throughout the day. These cohorts will be created first by grade level and then by athletic team. Cohorts will primarily be used during the academic portion of the day, but will be utilized in other areas as needed.
- Free Periods: Students will be assigned to proctored study halls during free periods to limit gatherings in common areas and to encourage more intentional time management practices. This more efficient use of free periods will provide students with the much needed space in the evenings to recharge and reset before the next day.
Building Use
We have adjusted our building use to maximize social distancing and reduce the number of people inside our spaces at any given time. Some of the key changes include:
- More multipurpose spaces and meeting rooms
- Outdoor classrooms
- Signage indicating room capacity
- Academic and residential wings
Faculty Building Use
Teaching and coaching faculty should plan to be on campus only when teaching, training athletes, or working an FOD shift. Planning hours, individual meetings, department/discipline meetings should take place remotely if scheduled outside of academic or athletic building use hours.
- Academic Faculty Campus Hours: 8:00am-1:05pm
- Athletic Faculty Campus Hours: 12:20pm- 5pm
Dining Services
All students and faculty will continue to be offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the following stipulations:
- All meals will be pre-plated by KMS Kitchen Staff.
- Meal pick-up times and dining locations will be assigned.
- All students and faculty must submit their entree selections for each meal by 3:00pm the day before.
Residential Life
Move-In Preparation
- Full Term students will be assigned a move-in date between September 5th and September 7th. Time slots will be spaced to limit numbers in the building and interaction between families.
- We are requesting that all students pack lightly. Please leave anything that can not be wiped down with a cleaning solution or washed in a washing machine at home, including any decoration.
Rooms & Roommates
- Dorm capacity will be reduced and arranged to accommodate single and double occupancy rooms.
- KMS will assign students to rooms and pair roommates according to their cohorts.
- Access to dorm rooms will be limited to residents of that room and on-duty faculty.
- Room inspections will take place at least twice per week to promote regular cleaning.
Residential Experience
KMS has designed new policies to enhance our residential student experience despite our focus on COVID-19 safety.
- Residential hours will take place after dinner and be limited to residential students and faculty on duty. During this time we will try to create a closed community to allow our residential students and faculty to act as a family unit, using common spaces together with fewer restrictions.
- Proctored study hall in the evening will no longer be mandatory with structured study periods scheduled throughout the academic day. Faculty may mandate evening study hall for residential students who require the support.
- Dorm Activities: In lieu of quiet study hours, faculty on duty will work with residential students to coordinate activities during the week and on weekends. Our access to the outdoors will be fully utilized and minimal outings to indoor locations will be permitted.