Dear Northwood Families:
For several months, Northwood’s leadership team has met regularly to plan for the 2020-21 school year. We have heard from many of you since we announced our initial decisions about the fall at Northwood School, and your enthusiasm for our plan and your eagerness to return to Lake Placid has been overwhelming. We can’t wait to welcome you back to campus. In today’s message, we want to explain cohorts and how we’ll bring students back to school.
Returning to Northwood in the Fall
Most of you are probably trying to imagine what the beginning of your fall 2020 Northwood experience will look like. Students in all grades will be welcomed back to campus on a staggered move-in and orientation schedule with designated cohorts arriving on different dates. Beginning two weeks prior to their assigned arrival day, we ask that all students complete a 14-day quarantine at home. Once the 14-day quarantine period is complete, and if they have no COVID-19 symptoms and no known exposure to COVID-19, they may travel to campus. While in transit, students are expected to maintain physical distancing, wear face coverings, practice frequent handwashing, and follow all applicable New York State Department of Health and CDC guidelines.
We also strongly encourage students to be tested for COVID-19 and receive a negative result, as close to their move-in date as possible. If you test positive on a pre-arrival test, you must stay home, recover, and delay your return to campus.
To adhere to New York State recommended best practices, all day and boarding students will be tested on the day they arrive on campus. Our testing program is a partnership with Adirondack Health and the Trudeau Institute, which will allow us to deliver tests for COVID-19 infection for students at two different times—as they arrive on campus and again after 14 days. Boarding students will remain in quarantine in their dormitory rooms for 24-48 hours until initial test results are available. This quarantine period could be extended in the unlikely event of a delay in receipt of the test results. Meals will be delivered to dorms during the quarantine period. Students will not be able to leave their rooms except to use the bathroom, get their meals from the dorm delivery point, or in case of a medical emergency. We are considering periodic testing throughout the trimester. More information on testing (and health/medical services in general) will be shared in a future message.
Cohort Selection and Phased Return to Campus
As I mentioned last week, we will organize the student body into cohorts (or groupings) of students living, dining, and participating in co-curricular activities together. The cohort will become a sort of extended family among whom students may not be required to practice social distancing or to wear masks. If someone in the cohort tests positive for COVID-19, everyone in the cohort will be more closely monitored and restricted to ensure the virus does not spread. Students can interact with other students outside their cohort if they are careful to maintain physical distance and wear a mask when inside.
The theme of each cohort will be the major co-curricular or athletic offerings at Northwood School. All boarding and day students will choose their cohort by completing this form. For all students, the cohort choice will determine the co-curricular activities students participate in for the fall and who students dine with. For boarding students, the choice will also determine where on campus (and with whom) they live. The cohorts are:
- Independent
Probably our largest cohort, students in the Independent cohort are engaged in co-curricular offerings like drama, dance, visual arts, crew, robotics, and outdoor activities like rock climbing. The boys in this cohort will live on the third floor of the East Dormitory. The girls will live on the first floor of the West Dormitory.
Return to campus on Monday, August 24, or Monday, August 31.
Please note: Students in the Independent cohort who choose to arrive on Monday, August 24 will select one of several week-long programs similar to Northwood’s spring LEAP program. We will provide more details on these offerings in the coming weeks.
- Girls’ Hockey
This cohort includes girls’ hockey players, and they will reside on the second floor of the West Dormitory.
Return to campus on Wednesday, August 19. We plan to begin on-ice sessions on August 21st, and the Olympic Center has advised us the rink will be open for training at that time. The students will participate in leadership training, off-ice sessions, team-building activities, etc.
- Snowsports
This cohort includes boys and girls who participate in Northwood Skiing / NYSEF snowsports programs (alpine, freeride, and ski jumping). The girls will reside on the ground floor of the West Dormitory and boys will reside on the second floor of the East Dormitory.
Return to campus on Monday, August 24. We plan to begin dryland sessions on August 26. The students will participate in leadership training, equipment preparation sessions, team-building activities, etc.
- Soccer
This cohort includes soccer players, and they will reside on the second floor of the East Dormitory.
Return to campus on Monday, August 17. We plan to begin training sessions on our fields on August 19. The students will participate in leadership training, conditioning sessions, team-building activities, etc.
5. Boys’ Hockey
This cohort includes hockey players on our Junior and Prep teams, and they will reside in Bergamini.
Return to campus on Wednesday, August 19. We plan to begin on-ice sessions on August 21st, and the Olympic Center has advised us the rink will be open for training at that time. The students will participate in leadership training, off-ice sessions, team-building activities, etc.
We know a student’s dorm room (and roommate) is an important part of the boarding school experience. This school year, student housing will be assigned according to the student’s cohort, with all members of the cohort living on the same hall. After students select their cohorts, we will send them a housing form in which students can request a specific roommate or indicate their living preferences to help the Student Life and Admission offices in selecting a compatible roommate from their cohort. Because we are housing students by cohort, we can’t guarantee that special requests (e.g., a single room; a specific room) will be accommodated.
International Students
In recognition of the increased challenges international students will face in returning to campus this year, we will be as flexible as possible to accommodate your needs. International students who would prefer to return earlier than the dates above are welcome to be housed on campus, beginning immediately. Please speak with International Students Coordinator David McCauley at mccauleyd@nortwoodschool.com or WeChat: "davidmccauley" make those arrangements.
I also know that other international students may not be able to arrive at Northwood until after the school year begins. Rest assured, we will have flexible online course offerings that can be completed anywhere in the world for all of our students who can’t immediately join us on campus.
Some international students may have concerns about leaving the United States for school breaks. During all school breaks, Northwood will offer on-campus housing options for the duration of the break at a nominal fee. Please speak with International Students Coordinator David McCauley at mccauleyd@nortwoodschool.com or WeChat: "davidmccauley" to make those arrangements.
Campus Drop-Off
Traditionally, campus drop-off day at Northwood is marked by crowded dormitories with parents, siblings and sometimes grandparents helping students move in and unpack. This year will have to be different. We must continue to follow state health and safety protocols and limit all visits to brief drop-offs on the cohort’s move-in day. While we know how important drop-off day can be, public health protocols preclude us from allowing anyone except students into the residence halls. Our staff will be on hand to welcome students to campus and give them their room keys. Families, we’ll encourage you to ask your students to send you photos of their rooms, and we hope to welcome you into the residence halls on a future visit. Unfortunately, Northwood cannot provide transportation to campus from regional airports. We simply can’t have students take long bus rides together before we have completed our testing and onboarding process. Information for students who require move-in assistance will be shared in an upcoming communication.
Our plan for the 2020-21 school year needs to be highly conscientious, unusually creative, and above all flexible. Successful implementation of any plan during this pandemic requires all members of the community to take on a shared responsibility to do what is necessary to preserve the Northwood School experience while keeping everyone safe. This is just the beginning of our work that will require all of us to come together at this historic moment with care for ourselves and each other, with adaptability and generosity of spirit. But that is, after all, what Northwood School does well.
Michael J. Maher
Head of School
PS: Remember to choose your cohort by completing this form. PPS: For an overview of how students will return to school, watch this brief video. We’ll provide more details in the coming weeks. For all of our COVID-19 news and updates, click here.