Prioritizing Health and Safety

As we prepare to return to campus, we seek to protect the health of students, faculty, and staff with overlapping layers of protection. These will relax as the public health landscape allows and tighten should that prove necessary. We have instituted new rituals of hygiene for employees and students, mechanisms for monitoring symptoms, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols for high-traffic areas. Each of the measures outlined below by itself is imperfect, but together, and working in partnership, we expect them to be highly effective in reducing the risk of infection. They include:

• Social distancing in classrooms and around campus.
• The elimination of large group gatherings and music pull-out instruction. Music will be incorporated into the classroom.
• A requirement for all students to be dropped off and picked up through the carpool system.
• A requirement for face coverings for students, faculty and staff when and where appropriate, (please see the full length Grace Academy Reopening Plan for permissible options).
• Additional air exchanges/ HEPA filters installed in every classroom to bring additional fresh air into the rooms and create positive air pressure forcing old air out of the rooms.
• Spacing student desks to meet the six-foot distance recommendation; the addition of barriers between desks if spacing is not adequate.
• A school nurse hired to hold regular office hours.
• Reasonable cause temperature checks performed in the office.
• Designated health spaces for screening, testing, and supportive isolation.
• On-site custodial and facility maintenance that will enhance cleaning and disinfection of the school.
• Hand sanitizer in every classroom with additional soap and water hand washing routines.
• Limited access to campus visitors. Visitors will be required to wear face coverings.
• Academic calendar changes to 170 school calendar days with an additional six make-up days built in, allowing for a 14 day quarantine if necessary.

Focusing on Spiritual Development

In accordance with our mission, we place great value on the spiritual development of our students. Recognizing that formation extends well beyond academics, we have a unique opportunity to emphasize God's love and care for our community during this challenging time. Please join us in praying for the hearts of our students this year. Here are some of the ways we will focus on spiritual development this upcoming school year:

• Continued weekly chapel in a modified and smaller group format.
• Devotional groups and Bible studies in Upper School.
• Mentor Block in Rhetoric School for one-on-one mentoring between students and faculty.
• Modified but continued Scripture Memory Program.
• On-campus programming in place of Upper School retreats for the Fall.
• Weekly prayer meetings for faculty and staff.
• Moms' Prayer meetings held on Thursday mornings facilitated by Parent Council.
• Parents' Prayer opportunities on various evenings facilitated by Parent Council.

Making Use of Our 35-Acre Campus

Various research suggests that being outdoors greatly reduces the spread of Coronavirus infection. We will fully utilize our 35-acre campus to allow for as much outdoor learning as possible.

Outdoor spaces have been reimagined with the goal of promoting social distancing while effectively delivering Grace Academy's mission-driven curriculum. Creative use of campus spaces like our Amphitheater, Athletic Field and Prayer Labyrinth will provide students safe spaces for physical activity and enrichment programming. We are enhancing other outdoor areas to create warm, welcoming, lawn-type environments where students can gather in friendship and teachers can hold class outdoors, all while practicing social distancing. In addition, we are taking steps to increase physical distance while appreciating God's creation in our 35-acre campus in the following ways:

• Additional lunch blocks and designated spaces between seats will increase physical distance between students during lunch and recess.
• Use of outdoor areas for All-School Chapel twice a semester.
• Use of outdoor areas for classes when appropriate.
• Traditions like Crazy Hat Day and Pep Rallies reimagined in smaller groups across campus.

Ensuring Academic Success

We are taking multi-tiered, proactive measures to support our students’ learning. Here are some of the ways we are maintaining our commitment to your child’s education during this global crisis:

• Teachers will begin the year by assessing academic gaps and discerning areas where students need additional support. This will allow teachers to meet students "where they are" and best serve students through the duration of the year.
• Technology improvements such as new computers for teachers, video cameras for teachers to record classroom lessons, and installation of an internet tower on campus will equip teachers to better serve students and remain flexible throughout the year.
• Upper School will shift to a modified block schedule with more time between classes. This will provide the equivalent of 25 extra days of classroom time!
• We have extended the academic calendar to 170 days with six flex days, allowing for a 14-day quarantine if necessary.
• We will remain committed to providing in-person learning while supporting students for periods of distance learning when necessary.