What is the school’s plan if the Detroit region regresses to MI Safe Start Phase 3 conditions?
As per the Governor’s Return to School Road Map, in Phase 1-3 conditions the school would pivot to online learning for all students in grades K-12. Live instruction would be maintained for students who choose it in the school’s fully-licensed PreK program.
What is the school’s plan for MI Safe Start Phases 5 or 6?
We will evaluate the experience of operating the school program in Phase 4 conditions and then conservatively determine what changes might be made in phases 5 or 6, which allow for a relaxing of certain safety protocols.
If I choose the Remote Pathway for my child will he/she be allowed to come to campus for resource classes, special events, or after-school activities?
Remote Pathway students will participate in the daily educational program from home and will not come to campus for any classes, including resource classes, or special events held during the school day. Remote Pathway students are eligible and welcome to participate in after school programs including co-curricular activities and school-sponsored athletics.
If I choose the Remote Pathway for my student what can I expect?
Remote Pathway students can expect the typical daily schedules (8 a.m.-3 p.m. in Lower School, 8:30 a.m.-3:20 p.m. in Middle School, and 8:40 a.m.-3 p.m. in Upper School). MS and US students will follow the typical blue/red day rotating schedule.
However, students should not be expected to be remotely connected to their class (or classes) continuously for the entirety of the school day. Best practices call for remote students to have time away from the remote connection, and screens, to perform close reading, skill practice, and other individualized activities.
Students learning via the Remote Pathway should expect a mixture of synchronous instruction, prioritizing interactions with the teacher and their peers, and asynchronous instruction, with instructional videos and other tools and activities designed to help students build skill and content knowledge.
Remote Pathway students will, in addition to their classroom teachers, work with a Remote Learning Coordinator, who will provide an additional layer of academic and technical support to students.
Teachers will have regular remote “office hours” each week to connect one-on-one with students in the Remote Pathway.
How will the school ensure privacy with some students participating remotely?
The school developed significant online safety protocols during our remote learning period in spring 2020. These include acquiring the professional educational license for Zoom, naming protocols for participants, the use of private links and waiting rooms for access control, and clear expectations for participant conduct.
These protocols and expectations would continue for remote learners in the physical classroom environment. Remote learners will have their cameras on to verify participation, following standard naming protocols, and access to the in-class view will be controlled by the teacher. They will abide by the code of conduct which includes prohibition of any personal recording or picture taking.
In most cases, the remote learner will be represented on a moveable device with a camera, primarily a laptop or iPad. Swivl cameras, which track teacher movement, may also be used. Regardless, these devices will be focused on the teacher/board during class discussions and whole-group instruction and allow for virtual learners to “move” to participate in small group work with peers as directed by the teacher.
Classes will NOT be lives streamed for general consumption. Live streaming is the process of capturing the entirety of a classroom (teacher/student interactions, etc.) and broadcasting it live throughout the entire day over the internet. While Remote Pathway students will be participating in synchronous activities, the focus of these connections will be on the teacher or their peers directly in small group work. These connections will be protected by the use of private links, waiting rooms, and clear protocols for student and teacher conduct, as discussed above.
What are the protocols for a positive case of COVID? An exposure? Who is responsible for monitoring the implementation of these protocols?
The School will follow CDC and Wayne County Health Department Guidelines for responding to cases of and known exposures to COVID in our community. Wayne County guidelines are currently being finalized, after which the school will share a document that outlines specific protocols.
Here is a positive case scenario and associated response following current CDC recommendations, for illustration.
If a student tests positive for COVID, the student would be excluded from school until 10 days have passed since the positive test, 72 hours have passed fever free, other symptoms have improved and the primary health care provider has been consulted.
Community members (including classmates and staff) with close contact (currently defined as less than six feet for more than 15 minutes) to the student with positive diagnosis, mandatorily including members of the student’s household (siblings), will be traced, informed, and excluded from school for a period of 14 days for quarantine and monitoring.
Third-party exposure (for instance, exposure to the sibling of a student who has tested positive) does not require quarantine.
When a student is quarantined, what is the general procedure for transitioning the student both to and from the Remote Pathway?
Students who are temporarily unable to attend in-person classes, due to COVID-19 related quarantine or other issues, are able to continue their Liggett experience through the Remote Pathway, until they are able to return to campus.
At the beginning of the school year, divisional leadership (or classroom teachers) will communicate the basic structure of the Remote Pathway to students. When a student needs to temporarily transition to the Remote Pathway, they will first connect with the division’s Remote Learning Coordinator, who will provide more details on the Remote Pathway, review the student’s schedule, and be a primary point of contact for the process. The coordinator (and student in the Middle and Upper Schools) will contact the student’s teachers and ensure that the logistics are in place for the student’s temporary transition. The coordinator will also help with the student’s transition back to in-person learning when they are able to return to campus.
How will the school enforce safety protocols, especially diligent mask wearing and thoughtful social distancing among students?
With any new practice, careful training and preparation are as important, if not moreso, than enforcement. The first week of school will be devoted, largely, to orientation to our new normal and setting expectations for behavior for the year ahead.
Observing mask-wearing will be the most important safety feature of our plan. While young people typically only experience minor symptoms of viral infection, evidence suggests they can spread the disease as efficiently as adults. To protect the adults in our community, we ask for families' support in preparing students for the non-negotiable necessity of honoring this protocol.
Students who are observed removing their masks against our protocols will be warned and reminded of protocols. A repeat offense will result in a student being sent home for the remainder of the school day and a conference with parents will ensue. Repeated violations of this expectation will result in the student’s exclusion from school.
What will the impact of local schools choosing to be online only to begin the year have on enrollment and class size?
University Liggett School remains committed to small class sizes and division heads and the admissions team have created and will adhere to thoughtful class caps for each grade level. We do not anticipate substantial enrollment growth over the previous year.
What steps are being taken regarding air circulation and quality?
All forced air systems are being upgraded with MERV-13 filters which provide a greater level of filtration of small particles. In classrooms without forced air circulation, standalone HEPA air filters will be installed.
Additionally, the school will leverage fresh air, via windows, doors, and fans, to the greatest extent possible given weather conditions.
How will the school use outdoor spaces?
The school is investing in tenting and furniture to allow for robust use of outdoor spaces in a variety of weather conditions, safety permitting. Students should anticipate substantial outdoor activity, including class time, lunch, and free time activities. As such, having appropriate attire, especially coats and jackets, for the weather, will be important.
What travel restrictions or advisements will be in place for community members?
Domestic and international school-related travel is currently prohibited for all staff members. Personal domestic travel is discouraged. Personal international travel requires a 14 day quarantine prior to returning to the school building. The school reserves the right to exclude a staff member for 14 days if evidence of travel compels us to do so.
We encourage all families to abide by the CDC recommendations for safe travel, which include discouragement of most domestic travel in current conditions, and to report all planned or completed travel to the school. International travel requires a 14 day quarantine before returning to the school building. The school reserves the right to exclude a student for 14 days if evidence of travel compels us to do so.
.jpg "DSC_7200.NEF (1)")
