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Final Reminders and Updates - Start of School 2021

Dear Northwood Students and Families: 

I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer break. The campus is abuzz with preparations for your arrival, and we look forward to welcoming you soon. Here are a few reminders before you arrive on campus 

Arrival and Moving  In 

Families may help students move into their dorm rooms, but please remember that everyone is required to wear a mask inside the building. Please refer to the message from Director of Admissions Gino Riffle for more information about arrival

Dress Code 

Last school year, as we shifted from quarantine to remote learning to in-person classes and back, enforcing dress code wasn’t a priority. I want everyone to know that the dress code will be enforced this school year, so please be sure you have appropriate clothing to meet the requirements of class dress. We also plan to re-start formal dinners in October, so please be prepared with appropriate clothing. Our dress code is outlined on pages 10-11 of this resource

Health Forms 

All health forms, including a current physical and immunization record, are required before your arrival. You can upload forms and vaccination records at Magnus Health Portal or email them to nurse@northwoodschool.org.  

Covid-Related Reminders 

We recently shared our plan for 2021-22. Here are a few clarifications based on questions we have received: 

The COVID-19 Vaccine is Required. The vaccine is required of all students with very few exceptions. If a student plans to arrive to school unvaccinated for any reason, it is critically important that we know about it ahead of time so we can ensure proper protections are in place. In the case of international students wishing to be vaccinated upon arrival, our health center will need to collect consent forms from parents/guardians.  

A Recent Negative Diagnostic Test is Required. Requiring the vaccine is our most important layer of protection and requiring a negative test from every member of our community, regardless of vaccination status, improves our chances of starting the year virus-free. The recent negative test must be a PCR test or molecular test collected no more than 3 days before arriving at school or a rapid/antigen test from the same day the student arrives at Northwood. If the student tested positive for COVID in the previous 90 days and has fully recovered, proof of the positive test will suffice, and a negative test is not required. 

Indoor Mask Requirement.  Governor Hochul this week announced that all students, employees, and visitors must wear a mask while inside school buildings. Reports of positive cases among vaccinated people are troubling, especially as we begin to build a residential school community made up of students from throughout the United States and around the world. While we are hopeful that we can make masks optional later this school year, we must begin the year wearing masks indoors. Exceptions to the mask requirements are when students are seated and eating, in their dorm room, while bathing and while training or working out. 

An Emergency Contact is Required. Even though we are taking a layered approach to protect our community, some vaccinated people may test positive and be required to isolate and some students may be required to quarantine, which is one reason why all students are required to have an emergency contact who resides a reasonable driving distance to Lake Placid. The school does not have an off-campus quarantine site, so all students must have an emergency contact who can pick up the student on short notice. This requirement applies to all students whose parents reside more than a reasonable drive from campus, and especially all international students. Families can designate a trusted family member or friend who lives within a reasonable drive to Lake Placid or retain a guardian through a guardian/emergency contact service such as Student Health Advocates

Please refer to our plan for the 2021-22 school year for more details. 

Returning Students: Request a Fob if You Need One 

All new students will be provided an electronic door fob used to enter school buildings and dorm halls. Most returning students already have a fob, but if you need a new one, please request one ahead of time by completing this form

Class Schedules are Available Online 

Students and parents have access to PCR Educator, Northwood’s online portal. From there, they can check their class schedule. Log in here for Parents or Students.  If you have questions about the schedule, speak to Noel Carmichael, Dean of Academic Affairs.  

Construction on Campus 

We are well along into a construction project on a field adjacent to the school’s main entrance. We are building an artificial turf field that we expect to complete before winter. When you arrive you will see construction equipment and building materials. It should go without saying that the construction site is strictly off-limits to students.  

For more information or to re-read previous updates, please visit 2021-2022 Onboarding Communications

Thank you for your attention to the many details included here and in other updates. We look forward to welcoming you to campus soon. 

Sincerely, 

 

John Spear 

Assistant Head for Student Life